Hip-Hip, Hooray!

Overnight at Thistletonthwaite Castle is one year old today!


Which means... I have been blogging for a year.

And... (here comes a cliché) what a wonderful year it’s been!

When I first started this blog, I felt a little bit self-conscious and shy. But now, as I sit here looking out at a pink and hyacinth sky, I wonder why, oh why?

With blogging, as with most things in life, it is best to relax and be yourself. Some write about rules for blogging, what you should and should not do. But I think the beauty of blogs is that each is as individual as its owner. And, like owning a dog, we closely resemble our blogs or vice-versa. ;)

I had a phase when I felt guilty about blogging taking time away from writing. Then, I had a phase when I found it difficult to post regularly because of my work and wondered if I could keep on blogging. I am now through those phases -- and don’t imagine I will ever stop writing a blog.

Mainly because ... I have met many wonderful people with equally wonderful blogs!

Thank you for reading mine. :)

Bonnie Scotland

Edinburgh is a beautiful city. I remember it vividly even though I haven’t visited for years. (It somehow fell off my radar, usurped by Glasgow.) It’s unique features include two extinct volcanoes, one of them right in the city centre onto which Edinburgh Castle is built; a fact I was unaware of until today.

I have a meeting there tomorrow. It’s a trip I could do easily in one day, but I’m going to stay overnight and spend Friday enjoying the city. Fingers-crossed for sunshine and no rain!

Next week, I hope life will be more-or-less back to normal, after the chaos of moving. I’m hungry to get back to writing and catch-up on blog reading. Bet I’ve missed tons of great stuff!

A New Look

I’ve redecorated the blog!

And it’s S-T-R-E-T-C-H-Y…

The dark-blue background of the previous template fit well with the ‘overnight’ theme.

But summer is almost here; the days are brighter and the evenings lighter. So… inspired by yesterday’s shopping expedition (which was successful, apart from not finding the sandals of my dreams), it seemed time for a change of mood.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

I love how one thing leads to another … and then you discover a brilliant book!

Today, I visited Folio Literary Management’s new blog and read the inaugural post, “On Query Letters”, by agent Jeff Kleinman.

The post includes an example of a successful query from Garth Stein, now one of Jeff Kleinman’s clients.

The query letter is excellent, and the novel seemed both unique and compelling.

Later, I popped over to Janet Reid’s blog and read a fascinating post about (you guessed it) Garth Stein, and the very book for which Jeff Kleinman had posted the query. I was now becoming extremely excited -- and almost squealed after clicking the link to the THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN !

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

“YOUR CAR GOES WHERE YOUR EYES GO” -- Enzo

One of those weeks!

Today I sit here with a foggy head.

For the last 7 days, life has seemed crazy, beyond my control.

Nothing drastic, dreadful, or overly dramatic has happened. It’s the little things. And when lots of little things go wrong, you feel stupid. Maybe I try to squeeze too much into a day. But don’t we all do that? We want to achieve as much as possible, succeed against the odds, and beat the clock.

Sometimes we go the extra mile to please others or to prove our supersonic abilities -- then kick ourselves for the silly mistakes that ensue.

Last week I submitted this blog to Authors Blogs, a fabulous site listing lots of great blogs, including The Book Lady and Barrie Summy. I typed in the info, hit submit, then realised I’d made a mistake. So I re-submitted, with “UPDATED!” preceding the revised description.

And this is how that description now appears on the site:
UPDATED!: An aspiring YA author blogs about what captivates her three-track mind: writing, entertainment, and life.

The week continued, with a catalogue of minor disasters.

On Monday, I rushed to mail three letters before the last collection. I lay in bed that night re-living the stuffing of the envelopes. Had I…? Was it possible…? Surely I couldn’t be that stupid?

Unfortunately, yes. I discovered on Tuesday that I’d mixed up two letters and put them in the wrong envelopes!! The recipients were amused: accidents happen. But I felt completely incompetent.

I hope this phase is passing, and once I publish this post this, I’ll become a calm and organised person. :) 

Some very good news: Patricia Wood's wonderful debut novel, Lottery, has reached the shortlist for the Orange Prize for Fiction!

A Fine Line

You will be pleased to hear that my Zen phase has passed. Total calm no longer prevails and I am nicely, slightly stressed. Yippee! (Though I did enjoy the Zen phase.)


Few will have missed the Surprisingly Essential First Page Challenge (or First Five Hundred Word Challenge, to be precise), held this week by Nathan Bransford on his blog. The contest closed yesterday, with a total of 645 entries on blogger and 29 on Nathan’s Myspace page.

I’m a fan of Nathan’s blog, but I didn’t enter this contest. And now the deadline has passed, I would like to say why.

The first page of my ‘finished’ novel starts almost halfway down the page and totals 152 words. The first 500 words = more than two pages, and includes the inciting incident, the setting, and motivation of two main characters. That’s quite a slice.

As the entries poured in to Nathan’s comment page, some of the contestants became concerned about their work being critiqued on other blogs. But, "Nathan Bransford -- Literary Agent" is neither a private, nor a quiet, little blog. Had these contestants forgotten where they had posted their pages? I imagine Nathan’s blog draws people from many levels of the industry, all over the world. Everyone, and anyone, can read the entries.

The contest is not being run by a literary agency, but on a literary agent’s blog. To enter such a contest with a hook, first paragraph, first 16 lines, or even a query, is helpful and fun. But, within the context of the blogosphere, the first 500 words of a novel is, perhaps, a step too far.

If I were to post those first 500 words on this blog, it would be a calculated risk. I KNOW I don’t get hundreds of hits per day. Far from it!

I'm not suggesting we should be paranoid about plagiarism. But, in the case of my novel, those 500 words say a lot: context, character, and conflict -- the set-up for the story.

If someone is writing as a hobby, a contest such as this can be part of the fun. But, if a writer is submitting to agents and publishers, their novel is a piece of intellectual property. It is a product they are hoping to sell.

The creative industries are tough. They are cutthroat.

In my professional world -- the fashion world -- you quickly learn the difference between offering a taster, and giving the concept away. It’s a fine line, and one easily crossed by young designers, understandably keen to impress.

But a seasoned professional, offered more than a tiny peak of a collection, can grasp the idea, spin it forward -- and run. The result: your concept lands on the high street before you can blink. Your collection is yesterday’s news.

It’s good to share our work with people we know. It’s good to take part in fun contests with people we don’t. But, when it comes to work we hope to build on in the real world. When it comes to our careers, I think we sometimes need to be careful.

This is obviously just my opinion.

So ends this serious post! :)

A New Me!

I’ve changed my profile picture!

When out and about in the blogosphere, I will now look like this...








The new me!

A Mixed Post

I’ve just had a weekend off.

I honestly can’t remember when I last had a ‘proper’ weekend. And after seeing my writing goals for 2008, alongside many others, in J.A. Konrath’s 300th blog post, I doubt I’ll ever have time for another!!!

Revealing these goals in public makes them seem even more important. I feel compelled to do my absolute best to reach them. Though I felt anxious when I saw them, there, in the blogosphere -- there is something to be said for scaring yourself into action. There's also a lot of inspiration, not to mention a good dollop of wisdom to be found in what others are setting out to achieve.

Thankfully, what might come to be known as The Last Weekend was GREAT! It included a hair appointment, shopping, a trip to the Lake District, more shopping, at small but beautifully formed, Elk Home, and two gorgeous dinners. As a result, I feel refreshed and ready for anything. (Let’s hope something unusual happens to utilise that readiness!)

I’ve replaced the Halloween profile picture with one that was snapped on Saturday. By coincidence, my hair, sweater and curtains tone in a way that makes the photo look golden and Christmassy.

But I’m on a Mac. And if this blog looks off-colour or messy to anyone using a PC, I’d love to know. 

Now, completely changing the subject. Until this photo, I don’t think I had ever seen a rabbit yawn.

It’s adorable!

Goal!

J.A. Konrath is approaching a blogiversary. And in his 299th entry he invites his readers to contribute to his upcoming 300th post.

Wow. That’s a heap of brilliant blogging!

So, writers, if you haven’t already done so, why not accept the invitation by telling him:
1. Your goals for 2008.
2. How you will reach these goals.

I sent mine in last night, after spending quite some time pondering ‘How I will reach these goals'. A very useful exercise, indeed.

All goals will be included, along with J.A.’s, in what promises to be a fabulous, milestone post!!!

Karma

It’s great that blogs are quick to set-up and easy to customise. And it’s wickedly simple to embellish one’s posts with pictures and the like. Fun things can be accomplished in an instant. But. What seemed a good idea at the time can quickly be regretted.

Which is how I feel about the ‘Process’ post of 6 November. Whenever I scroll down this page, the worst photo of me, EVER, stares back, grinning. What was I THINKING??? I look baggy-eyed and white as a sheet, which I thought funny at the time, because it was around Halloween and ghosts and vampires were in the ether. And my front teeth! I must tell you: yes, I have gaps, but I’m not as goofy as THAT!!!

The post was about process, so what can I do? I can’t remove the photo. No, that would be wrong. And after two more posts, it will move from this page and into the archives -- phew!

To counter-balance my impetuous mistake; to restore karmic order and realign the chakras of the blog, I am adorning this post with a BEAUTIFUL picture, something I could never, ever regret or want to change: a sublime painting by Mark Rothko.

And another, just for good measure...

Namaste!