The low-down on the down-low

Reader, I confess, I haven't meant to stray away from the blog for so long, or be so 'DL', as it were. Just time gets away with one but I can report that I have not been idle - not I!

Goals have been achieved and it's a good reminder for me to actually write it out here because it's a little perturbing how the brain tricks one into thinking one hasn't achieved anything!

Last I left you reader, I had finished the first draft of 'The Novel'. Since then, I revised it several times before getting an editor to read it so I had fresh eyes as I was beginning to suspect my nearest and dearest were not about to unleash their maximum criticism guns and shoot at me - even though I wanted them to! Getting a professional editor/writer who also writes in your genre to have a looksie is tres invaluable and if you have even the slightest of means, I would recommend it to anyone else. Count it as a investment in yourself and your writing.

How did I fare with the feedback? I honestly welcomed and relished in it, reader. I cringed where valid weaknesses were brought up - not because I was embarrassed in myself but because I knew it was a weakness and was acknowledging it sheepishly. I was keen to then ingest the notes and work on making the ms better. I also tried to keep the first note the editor wrote ('Great idea for a story') in a easy-to-see place as a reminder :)

Anyhow, I'm actually in the trenches of 'querying agents', reader. So again, apologies if updates are a little slim as one is focussed on that goal entirely. But the good news, my posts will now be living up the name of the blog itself, eh, eh?

Breaking the blog hiatus

Hi all. Sorry for MIA blog status of recent months. Last I reported anything of import it was to say that I'd finished my first draft of a novel-in-progress. Well, the good news is that the draft has been through several revisions into a penultimate version and is currently circulating with a few select people to get some initial feedback :D.

In this weird pocket of time in which I'm not writing everyday, I've been trying to fill it with getting brushed up on how to approach agents/publishing world etc. It feels odd not coming home with an intent purpose to write and a manuscript taking shape. So I think I might go ahead and get cracking with the next novel. I have felt rather listless but I also didn't have a huge urge to start tapping away at the keyboard for the next round of writing either - something I was becoming keenly worried about. Was I losing my enthusiasm already? I, who had been enthusiastically working away at a MS for well over 18 months? Would I be able to continue such a spree or was it a one-off? Silly thoughts, of course. I reminded myself I'd been writing pretty much non-stop for 18 months so what if I was not really doing any real writing for a month or so?

But I want that 'month' to be over now. I think not having a project to focus my energies on is detrimental to my wellbeing. Ok, little dramatic but essentially I mean not having a project that is the anchor to my days and weeks, well yes, it casts me adrift, like a planet bereft of orbit. No thank you!

I did make myself goofily happy by purchasing these though:

Also, not sure how much I will update this blog. Currently re-evaluating whether I have something of worth to share and tbh, I kinda wanna do a blog/vlog that focusses on Greek and Roman mythology etc. Will keep you updated on that.

Final note - made plans to take a trip to Crete at the end of the summer, so will be visiting the Palace of Knossos and 'soaking' in the setting of the my novel. Very excited about that!

Published: Short story in Annexe Magazine's new online fiction series

Ok, no excuses for not posting sooner, really and truly. I actually had a hit a bit of a block on all writing fronts, including what to post up here. That dam has now given way and there's been a bit a deluge :)

I am well chuffed to report that I was involved in an exciting project orchestrated by the fabulous Nick Murray, editor of Annexe Mag. When he told me about XY, he pitched it as a story written by several writers, all getting a certain section of the narrative - in one genre - and it was up to the writers to deliver it either via prose, verse or any other writing format from film or drama. We were given bare bones information - just three characters and a skeletal outline - sans knowing what the other writers' parts would be covering. This first issue is noir and I ain't ever tackled that beast before but heck, I gave it shot and now me name's in print *smiley face*

It's been pretty cool to see how the shape took form, as no one was quite sure how this was going to work - I mean, you're writing in the dark, excuse the pun. But it sort of works and the different formats and styles blend in their own way; each one really distinct but somehow linked with a loose cohesive strand to the one that precedes it and follows it. I must say I share company with exquisite crafters of the written word - Eley Williams, John Boursnell, Akiho Schilz, Jack Swain and Ben Gwalchmai.

Anyhow, please feel free to check it out and judge for yourself - it makes a perfect commute read or procrastination perusal.

Being lame, 'cos I typed in whatever into YouTube:

Stumbled on...Demotivation for Publishing and Evil Editor

Well I said I'd be updating the blog more on a weekly basis and I'm kind of cheating because I'm referencing another's blog post. Though it is on topic - namely, publishing -  but a rather bleak out look on the prospect of getting your book out to the masses en print but hey ho! It's still a good laugh.

I stumbled across this when perusing 'Evil Editor (why you don't get published)' - a blog I have lost many hours to. Ideal for procrastinating. Have a click through and enjoy. Particular favourite posts are the 'Guess the Plot' - Evil Editor posts up five summaries based on what the book title might pertain to and then we are treated to the original query letter/synopsis which a budding author has submitted. The perk? You get to read EE's inline comments - witty to the point of being illegal. Oh and also sound advice on how to rewrite a query/synopsis for max. impact.

Below are two of my fave images posted by EE. To see the full post, visit here.

FULL POST: