The book I had been working on as a Pocket Novel is now back with me. I had sent it to the Romantic Novelists' Association's New Writers' Scheme for their feedback in August, and got it last week. Most of it was in draft because I knew I didn't have enough time to complete it all properly before the deadline. I am pleased I did that now. There is a lot to think about and work on. Plus a subplot to add in, as well as making more of the romance and making the family drama more of a mystery (not reveal something too soon). The reader did like the title and thought the whole story was suitable for a My Weekly Pocket Novel, so I am definitely going to send it to them once I have almost finished all the rewrites etc. I hope that will be the start of next year. I have made a revision plan for the novel as there is a lot to do with it to get it to the 50K that is required. Here it is:
1. To go through the whole ms and work on the reader's pencilled comments on the script itself. I have started this process already and am on Chapter Six.
2. To work on the reader's comments at the back of her feedback.
3. Might add the new subplot, which is related to something said by the hero. This will mean adding another character's viewpoint.
4. This will then mean adding scenes where the hero works in his job.
5. Describe the heroine's work place more.
6. Make more of the romance
7. Make the family drama more of a mystery. Will mean to take out scenes and work out if I can put them later on in the story.
8. Hopefully, all revisions will have been done, so will go through the reader's comments and check that I have done them.
9. Revise the synopsis.
I am looking forward to doing these revisions, esp adding another pov, which I had thought about before, anyway. It means more family drama to the story.
Receiving this feedback for it, and esp reading that they think it is suitable for my intended market, has made me want to write Pocket Novels now.
Think I will print this out to remind me what I intending doing. lol.
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Reading out work as an Aspie
I thought I would go back to reminding people that I have Asperger's Syndrome. There are two reasons for this.
1. There was a post on Facebook the other day from a fellow children's author, which was really a chain post. I had seen that others had taken her up on it and posted it on their status update, so I did the same. Boy, I didn't realise what sort of comments I'd get. A couple of people had a go at me for doing it, esp as an author. Then someone I know via another business we'd been in had a go at the others for having a go at me and saying that I had AS so don't have a go. (Thanks, Rebecca). I think because of my AS, I didn't really take notice of the nastiness of the comments, and I just thought to myself, why have a go at me when others have done the same. I am no longer going to take part in that sort of post again. So, if you leave a comment on my post, please make sure that it is clear in intent and not nasty. I might not realise what it actually means, otherwise.
2. Some weeks ago, we recorded the TV series 'The Autistic Gardener', and we have just started watching it at lunchtimes. I find it interesting to watch others like me, the first time I have seen other adults with AS on TV. I watched the second episode yesterday (I think) and something in it I really related to as an author. One of the young men, Thomas, couldn't tell the couple who owned the garden what his ideas were. I so related to this when I have had to read out my writing to a group. I have learnt to over the years but I still get nervous, and when it comes to my turn, I feel my hands go clammy and my heart race. Then when I do speak, I talk fast.
This goes back to when I was at Primary School. I remember writing a short story based on a true incident. The teacher asked if I wanted to read it out to the class and I said no, and she read it herself. That has always been the way with me through Secondary School to work to writing groups. Having been a member of the RNA and gone to their chapter meetings where we have had to talk about ourselves and read aloud, I have got better at it, but still not completely OK with it. As another writer said to my post about it, it's like baring your soul. Yes.
1. There was a post on Facebook the other day from a fellow children's author, which was really a chain post. I had seen that others had taken her up on it and posted it on their status update, so I did the same. Boy, I didn't realise what sort of comments I'd get. A couple of people had a go at me for doing it, esp as an author. Then someone I know via another business we'd been in had a go at the others for having a go at me and saying that I had AS so don't have a go. (Thanks, Rebecca). I think because of my AS, I didn't really take notice of the nastiness of the comments, and I just thought to myself, why have a go at me when others have done the same. I am no longer going to take part in that sort of post again. So, if you leave a comment on my post, please make sure that it is clear in intent and not nasty. I might not realise what it actually means, otherwise.
2. Some weeks ago, we recorded the TV series 'The Autistic Gardener', and we have just started watching it at lunchtimes. I find it interesting to watch others like me, the first time I have seen other adults with AS on TV. I watched the second episode yesterday (I think) and something in it I really related to as an author. One of the young men, Thomas, couldn't tell the couple who owned the garden what his ideas were. I so related to this when I have had to read out my writing to a group. I have learnt to over the years but I still get nervous, and when it comes to my turn, I feel my hands go clammy and my heart race. Then when I do speak, I talk fast.
This goes back to when I was at Primary School. I remember writing a short story based on a true incident. The teacher asked if I wanted to read it out to the class and I said no, and she read it herself. That has always been the way with me through Secondary School to work to writing groups. Having been a member of the RNA and gone to their chapter meetings where we have had to talk about ourselves and read aloud, I have got better at it, but still not completely OK with it. As another writer said to my post about it, it's like baring your soul. Yes.
Friday, 18 September 2015
New writing goals
I have recently decided to have two different writing goals for next year: 1.Write serials for either Woman's Weekly and/or The People's Friend. 2. Write pocket novels for My Weekly. Here is why I have now chosen these goals, esp the latter one when I know I previously said I didn't want to write pocket novels.
I have been working on a first instalment of a serial for The People's Friend serial writing competition, and I really like doing it. You have to write the outline first to work out where the story goes, which I did for the competition. I have lots of ideas jotted down for novels, so next year I might go through them to see which ones, if any, can be used as a serial instead. I have found I really like writing romantic mystery stories, which is what the story I'm working on is about.
I have also been working on a novel, which I originally wrote in 2010, that I want to be a My Weekly pocket novel. I have submitted this already for the RNA's New Writing Scheme. I have a couple of chapters left to read through and possibly work on, then I will let it rest until I get my critique from the RNA. I have a few mss up in my bedroom wardrobe that I had sent to the RNA over the years and not done anything with, and I now think could be worked as pocket novels. So, my plan next year is to work on one of those alternately with an Aspiekid book. There are two reasons I now want to write pocket novels. They are: 1. If you get a pocket novel published, you can then later on get it published with a mainstream hardback publisher who sends it to the libraries. If this happens, you can then apply for PLR. Another opportunity to get money for your writing. 2. If you get a pocket novel published by My Weekly, there is a chance that you can get short stories accepted by them, too. This is the only way I know how to write for My Weekly, as they don't take stories otherwise, only from their established writers.
Along with these two goals, I am going to continue writing and sending short stories to womags. I have yet to get an acceptance this year so far, so my goal for this year possibly won't come to anything. Roll on next year.
I have been working on a first instalment of a serial for The People's Friend serial writing competition, and I really like doing it. You have to write the outline first to work out where the story goes, which I did for the competition. I have lots of ideas jotted down for novels, so next year I might go through them to see which ones, if any, can be used as a serial instead. I have found I really like writing romantic mystery stories, which is what the story I'm working on is about.
I have also been working on a novel, which I originally wrote in 2010, that I want to be a My Weekly pocket novel. I have submitted this already for the RNA's New Writing Scheme. I have a couple of chapters left to read through and possibly work on, then I will let it rest until I get my critique from the RNA. I have a few mss up in my bedroom wardrobe that I had sent to the RNA over the years and not done anything with, and I now think could be worked as pocket novels. So, my plan next year is to work on one of those alternately with an Aspiekid book. There are two reasons I now want to write pocket novels. They are: 1. If you get a pocket novel published, you can then later on get it published with a mainstream hardback publisher who sends it to the libraries. If this happens, you can then apply for PLR. Another opportunity to get money for your writing. 2. If you get a pocket novel published by My Weekly, there is a chance that you can get short stories accepted by them, too. This is the only way I know how to write for My Weekly, as they don't take stories otherwise, only from their established writers.
Along with these two goals, I am going to continue writing and sending short stories to womags. I have yet to get an acceptance this year so far, so my goal for this year possibly won't come to anything. Roll on next year.
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Have an alternative plan
For what, you may ask? For whatever you're writing. I have an alternative plan for what I want to do with the entry for the People's Friend serial writing competition, if it doesn't win (which is likely because I know of a few others who are entering it). I really like this story I am writing; it's a romantic mystery. I have a Plan B and a Plan C for it. If it doesn't win, then I am going to try it with Woman's Weekly as a serial. If that doesn't work, Plan C is to put it on hold and write it later on as an ebook, which I will publish myself.
You can have alternative plans for most things you write. If you write short stories for women's magazines, then have an idea which other magazine you could send it to if it's rejected. This is a v good idea as there aren't many womags out there now that take stories.
Also, you can have a Plan B for the novel you are writing. I know most authors want to have their books accepted and published by a publisher, but in this day and age it is so hard to get that. You have to have an exceptional story to be taken on. So, the alternative is to self-publish it, and these days that is easy to do. It is also more mainstream and viable. So many authors are successful with their ebooks. And it's far quicker to get out to the readers.
You can have alternative plans for most things you write. If you write short stories for women's magazines, then have an idea which other magazine you could send it to if it's rejected. This is a v good idea as there aren't many womags out there now that take stories.
Also, you can have a Plan B for the novel you are writing. I know most authors want to have their books accepted and published by a publisher, but in this day and age it is so hard to get that. You have to have an exceptional story to be taken on. So, the alternative is to self-publish it, and these days that is easy to do. It is also more mainstream and viable. So many authors are successful with their ebooks. And it's far quicker to get out to the readers.
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