My series 'The Rainbow School'

Work is coming along very nicely with my series 'The Rainbow School' the first in my new brand brand Asperkids. I have finished the first draft of the third book, and started the second draft where I have been adding scenes that I forgot to put in the first time around. Meanwhile, I have met with an illustrator, Rachel Lawston, to discuss about covers for the series. She has come up with great ideas, which I shall post now.

1. I had sketched the cover to Billy with just Billy on the front, but Rachel suggested to have a couple of his friends with him as well but in the background. Shows that he can make friends.

2. She wasn't keen on the title of 'Boring Billy and the Strange Socks' because she wants me to make the whole thing strike positive to readers, esp for Asperkids readers. So, I have now changed it to 'Billy and the Sparkling Socks'.

3. She has also suggested to have the covers in bold colours, and the colours of a rainbow. I like this idea and will go with it. I have researched other books with magical realism in for 7+ and they are all in different colours.

4. After this research, I have decided I want stars all over the front like other books. I had sketched a black hole to represent the other world the characters go in, but don't want that now.

5. Having changed the title of Billy, I have changed the title of both Charlie and Susie - Charlie was going to be Clumsy Charlie and the Crooked Cap, but is now Charlie and the Captivating Cap, and Susie was going to be Slow Susie and the Jagged Jumper, and is now Susie and the Jumbling Jumper. Both reflecting positivity for the reader, and also intriguing them at the same time, I hope.

6. The other thing that Rachel suggested is to have a paragraph at the back of the book stating what the books are about and who they are for. She wrote something, which I put to my editor, who changed it a bit. You will have to see what it is when they come out later this year.

I am meeting Rachel again tomorrow to see what ideas she has come up with, as I have already sent her the ms. We shall see what happens next...

Boring Billy - the inspiration

I thought as a way of promoting my new children's series The Rainbow School it would be good to post about the inspiration behind the stories. In Boring Billy, Billy likes literacy and making up stories but he can't tell them so they sound exciting enough. The inspiration behind this one is me, when I was at primary school. I loved English, as it was called back then, and I liked making up stories. I remember in secondary school that I used to get high marks for my writing in English, and the highest mark you could get was an A+. If you got three then you got a star.

I remember in one English lesson at primary school we had to write a story. Can't remember if it had to be on a theme or not. I wrote a true story about how I was coming down the stairs at home, heard a noise and thought it was a ghost or something scary. So I went faster, ending slipping down the stairs on my back, hurting myself. Turned out the noise was a pigeon. LOL. Wasn't funny at the time, but can laugh about it now. Anyway, my teacher liked my story enough to want me to read it out to the class. I said no, being shy with Asperger's (not that I knew it was that at the time). My teacher read it out herself in the end.

So, my liking for writing stories is what inspired me to write Billy and his love of literacy and making up stories. Because of his strange school socks taking him to a magical world where he sees himself as a confident storyteller, Billy turns into a great and funny storyteller himself, making his class laugh as he acts out his stories.

What inspiration is there behind your books?

Me, Asperger's and primary school

Following on from my last post about a workshop on group dynamics, I thought I would write about what the group I was in at primary school was like. I told the interview group in the workshop this, and I think I might include this in a memoir as part of my Asperkids series of books. Here goes:

At primary school I was very quiet. I went round with two other girls, whom I shall called J and K. One was white, the other black. The white girl I felt was the leader of the two. When I was with them, they wanted me to do things with them, their way, and it included some not nice things. Wanting to be friends with them I went along and did them. When I was on my own, I used to either be on my own and do other things such as dance or play recorder, or play with the younger children. Looking back now, I don't think they liked me doing things on my own without them, so they made me stop going do barn dancing, which I liked, and stopped me playing recorder, which again I liked and was good at. (I remember playing the theme tune to Match of the Day).

I only saw the white girl only once or twice after we left primary school as she went to another secondary school as me, but the black girl went to the same secondary school but was in another group.

The above incidences I still remember all these years later, and I will put them in my children's series 'The Rainbow School' as things to happen to the main characters but something good will come out of it for them.

So, there you have one group dynamic I belonged to. Because of my Asperger's, I just tagged along with others, wanting to be friends with them.

My writing goals - an update

So, how are you getting on with your writing goals? I think I am coming along well with mine. Here is my progress so far:

Have almost finished the last mermaid story. Have printed it out and reading it out loud to find any errors. Have found a few already. Once I have done that, I shall email it to my editor.

Have finished the pocket novel and my editor is hopefully editing it for me now. Once I get that back, shall read any comments and suggestions for the first 3 chapters, do those and then email it off with a synopsis to the editor of My Weekly Pocket Novels.

Have begun reading and editing the first two books in the Asperkids series called 'The Rainbow School'. Am sticking with that title because someone suggested it corresponds with the autism spectrum, and a week later I saw a rainbow showing as the spectrum in a magazine. Have edited the first one which is about Billy, and have sent off the first two chapters of it for an author to comment on at the retreat. Started editing the second one about Charlie fainting, today. Have plotted out the third one about Susie and her heart problem, to work on at the retreat. All these books are loosely based on my primary school memories as a child with Asperger's and other health problems.

Still writing short stories for womags. Have two still with Take a Break's Fiction Feast, and one with Woman's Weekly which was rejected by TaBFF. Have been rewriting another for WW, from comments I got on the story blog, which were v helpful and it now reads like a story not a set of thoughts.

My client's picture book is finished and with the illustrator to work on again. Should hopefully be ready to publish for end of May. He is excited and so am I.

So, that is how I am getting on. Am v excited about publishing my Asperkids series as they are close to my heart.

Next post will be about having Asperger's, a way to promote my new series before I have published them.

Me, Asperger's and birthday parties (or not)

I thought I'd start posting about how Asperger's Syndrome has affected me over the years. There are two reasons: 1. There has been a drama series on BBC1 about a family with an autistic boy called The a word and the first episode made me think of a post to blog about, and 2) I have started working on my Asperkids series called The Rainbow School, so these posts can be the start of promoting it.

In the first episode of The a Word, the family have a birthday party for their boy, Joe who is now 5. He hated being the centre of attention and laid on the floor. When I was that age, I didn't have any birthday parties. For two reasons, 1. I was too shy because of my Asperger's, and 2 because of my Asperger's I found it difficult to make friends of my own (one of the social impairments of AS). I also didn't go to any parties myself, again because of the reasons above.

It was only later on in life, when I was an adult and went to work, that I really started celebrating my birthday with others. I did have a party for my 18th, but I didn't mingle with my guests. I made myself in charge of the music in a corner and wanted to stay there the rest of the time.

So, there you have what I was like with birthday parties when I was younger.

If you have ASD, did you have birthday parties? If so, what were you like at them?

My writing priorities have changed

Over the last month or so my writing priorities have changed. How? Well, I had wanted to write both adult and children's fiction, but I now want to mainly concentrate on writing for children. I still am going to write short stories for womags; that is my second priority, but as for adult fiction? I will continue and complete the 2 ebook series' I have been writing ie Geraldine's Gems and Singleton. I will also write pocket novels, but probably only once a year. I will write them in between the children's books I have planned, and they are many. So, how has it changed for me? I have been helping a new author edit and write his own picture books for children, and have been enjoying it immensely, coming up with ideas for him to work on. Helping him has made me realise that I enjoy writing for children more than adults. He has found this too. I think we both find writing for children much easier than writing adult fiction.

So, here is my current writing plan.

1. Finish the pocket novel I am revising. Near the end. It is now 48K. 2K to go. When I finish that, I shall send it to my editor.
2. Whilst that it being edited, I shall start plotting the third and final mermaid story. I am looking forward to that.
3. When I have written and published that, I shall start reading and revising 'Boring Billy'. Get that edited and publish it myself.
4. Then I shall write and publish the last of Geraldine's Gems.
5. Back to writing for children. Read through Charlie, get it edited and published.
6. During the retreat in May I plan to start writing the next Asperkids ebook which will be about Susie who has a heart problem but can work wonders with her fingers and making tapestries. (Based on me).

I think that is enough for getting on with for now, don't you? Now that I want to specialise in writing for children, that is where my niche lays and I want to help new children's authors feel the way I do about writing that genre. So, my author service has changed too.

2016 Writing goals

So, here is my main writing goals for this new year. Where did 2015 go?

1. To finish the pocket novel I have been rewriting since last October, get it professionally edited, then send it to the editor of My Weekly Pocket Novels. I feel I am on my way with this one, as I am adding a lot to the plot still and getting near the ideal word count of 50K.

2. Continue writing short stories aimed at the women's magazines. Get at least 5 accepted for publication. This one runs over from last year. I have 4 stories out there already; two with The Weekly News, 1 with Woman's Weekly, and 1 with Take a Break's Fiction Feast. I am currently rewriting another aimed for People's Friend, and have another nearly finished for Yours. I am happier about writing these as I found a blog esp for womag writers to put their stories on there for feedback. I have learnt to go with what I have been told by these writers as most of them have been successful with their stories. The one I'm revising now is from their comments about it on the blog.

3. Finish 'Geraldine's Gem's' series. Have one more ebook to write and publish, which I plan to do soon.

4. Possibly start publishing my Asperkids series of ebooks. Want to give the first one 'Billy' a few tweaks before getting it edited. Have ideas on what I want to do with this.

5. Finish 'Mermaid' trilogy. Plan to do this as well later this year.

6. Start publishing my children's ebooks that aren't in print, into print, starting with 'Railway Angel'. This was decided last year when my client told me that his granddaughter likes my books and wanted more of them. So, I will do.

7. Might publish the 'Angels' series as a box set at a cheap price.

8. Starting next week, I am going to record in my new diary planner what I write and type each day, then blog about it all the following week. A public record you could say.

I have a special diary planner to write all these down.

So, what are you writing goals for 2016? Let me know and maybe we can be accountable to each other. Good luck.

For newbie writers - write what you know

This post has come from a meeting with an author client whom I'm helping improve his story and get it published as an ebook. Yesterday I put a writing tip on Facebook and Twitter saying 'Tap into your knowledge'. This is the same as write what you know. So, if you have been a police detective and you are writing this genre, then write about what you know. Tap into your knowledge of what you did and this will enhance the story and make it more authentic and believable. My client hadn't done this, and I had told him to do it. I believe that this will make his story more believable and true to life than it is.

This is what I've been doing with my Asperkids series. I tapped into my memories of what I was like as a child with Asperger's Syndrome and other health problems whilst at school. I've also been trying to do with this with short stories I've been writing for women's magazines. Putting my memories of incidents that have happened to me into the characters' lives.

So, if you are a newbie writer, my best advice is to write what you know. Tap into that knowledge of yours.

If you want more hints and tips about writing, then why not sign up to my newsletter at awlist3836174@aweber.com

Why I want to write Pocket Novels

I mentioned in my post about my goals for this year that I want to write a My Weekly Pocket Novel. I now want to say that I do want to write for them and not just one, but continuously as a regular writer for them. Here are my reasons why.

1. As I mentioned in my goals, if I write one and send it in to the Romantic Novelist's Association (RNA) New Writer's Scheme and get accepted, then I can go on to become a full member. I've been in the NWS now for over 13 years.

2. I like their stories. They are my kind of gentle romance and family stories, and can include romance with intrigue, that I often read and write myself. They are the right length for me to write, too, at 50K.

3. I can be traditionally published if I get one published. This will make me a hybrid author.

4.As well as getting a flat fee for being published by them, I can offer the book to a large print publisher, who sends it to libraries, so therefore, I will be eligible for PLR.

5. Finally, I will get to see my name in print in the shops.

So, my new plan is to finish rewriting the book I am working on now and send it to the RNA. Once I've done that, I will rewrite a scene in my Asperkids first book and get that edited so I can self-publish it. Then I will rewrite another ms that I wrote years ago and is currently in my wardrobe ready to work on again, and that will become another pocket novel.

Step 4 - Your goals for the year

So, here is the final step to your plan and the most important one I feel - writing down your goals for this year. To motivate you, here are mine:

1. To complete my YA fantasy series 'The Guardian Angels'
2. To complete my mermaid trilogy
3. To complete my adult romance series 'Geraldine's Gems'
4. To write 1 or 2 more of my Singleton village series (working on that now)
5. To maybe write another of my Asperkids series
6. To publish my first Asperkids books about Boring Billy
7. To get at least 5 short stories accepted and published by women's magazines
8. To earn at least £500 from no 7
9. To break even with my writing expenses this year. I've been working at a loss the last few years.#
10. The main one I feel is... to graduate from the RNA's New Writer's Scheme, hopefully with a Pocket Novel script. Working on this now. Am rewriting a script that I submitted a few years ago and did nothing with.

So there you have my ten goals for this year. I've been working on numbers 4, 7, 8 and 10 so far. Will give you an update on how I'm going with these in a few months time. So, what goals have you made for this year? Let me know how you are going with them.

How to create a business plan - Step 2

I have posted about writing what you have achieved this year, so how about writing down what you haven't achieved. I am going to put down what I haven't, why I think this is and what I am going to do about it next year. Here we go:

1. Ebooks - I didn't achieve to write and publish as many ebooks as I wanted. I believe this was because I didn't make use of all the time I had because I was distracted by other ventures I was trying, which wasted time for me. What I plan to do - I have already started to make more of the time I have in the day to write.

2. Sales - I didn't achieve as many sales of my ebooks that I wanted to do. Why? I think this is because of the low price. All my ebooks are at 99c, which is a discount price. I now think that this is only suitable for discount buyers and not serious readers. So, next year, or even after Christmas, I am going to up the prices of all of my ebooks. I am going to think like a publisher. Lots of trad publishers have joined the ebook world and indies have to compete with them now, so I am trying to match their prices.

3. I didn't get my Asperkids series of books out there. Why? The publisher I had emailed the partial to hadn't got back to me about it. Next year I want to get my characters out there myself. Get the ms professionally edited, get an illustrator to do the cover and drawings in the book I want. Will be researching that next year.

4. I didn't get a short story in a magazine. I hadn't done the proper research and find out what sort of stories they publish. I have been to workshops by Woman's Weekly and know what they like now. I have been reading the magazines to get a feel for the type of stories they publish. I now have a better idea of what stories I will be sending to which magazines.

So, are there things that you haven't achieved this year? If so, what are you going to do about them? Let me know.

How to create a business plan - Step 1

I got this idea from the current issue of Writer's News magazine, and thought it was a good idea so am using it to create my plan for next year's writing. The first step is to write down what you have achieved this year. So here I am doing this here.

1. Ebooks - I published three ebooks (2 short books and one story). They were 'Life in the Old Dog', 'The Vanity Quest' and 'The Leaping Angels'.

2. I wrote a children's book, the second in the series about Asperkids finding confidence via a magical world at school.

3. I had published several letters in magazines this year, and got more rewards than I've done before doing this.

4. I started to give more talks at a local library, helping new authors get on the path to indie writing.

5. I created a new marketing website, to help other authors get discovered. This goes with a blog.

6. Finally, I wrote and sent off a story to Woman's Weekly magazine, after attending their workshops and realising what sort of stories they publish.

Despite all that I have achieved this year, there are things I haven't, and I will be mentioning those in the next post, and why I think this is.

So, what have you achieved this year that you are proud to have done? Let me know.