A Postcard from Hiati

The weather is lovely!


I have been quiet a little longer than planned. But the experiment has proven that, in the case of this novice novelist, less time online results in an increased production of fiction.

In other words, the writing is going really, really well. At the moment, I’m busy with further ‘tweaks’ of the novel I now realise will never be ‘finished’ until it is a) published, or b) shelved.

I’m not quite sure when I will return to more regular blogging, but I’ve just signed up to Twitter! And because any funny, cool, cute, or even vaguely acceptable plays on Mary are already taken ... I am using my real, full name. (I feel so brave!)

In reading news:

A novel I had been meaning to read for ages but only recently got round to is A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. It completely blew me away! It is the story of a ghost who falls in love, possessing a living body in order to be with her lover. It is unique, and beautifully written.

Continuing the spectral theme...

I am just over halfway through Katie Alender’s debut novel, Bad Girls Don’t Die. It is a gripping YA thriller, and yes, I did have to sleep with the light on after one particularly creepy moment. Katie has a gift for characterisation, and the protagonist’s scary little sister is especially well drawn.

Until the next time...

What first appeared as blog block has turned out to be something else. I suspected only a virus in my brain’s blogging mechanism and expected it soon to pass. But for the past week a debate has raged between my brain’s blogging nodes and the newly awakened single-minded centre. I’m not sure if I always had this, lying dormant, or whether it is recently grown.

Anyway, the single-minded centre has beaten the blogging nodes into submission. They did not go down without a fight, counter-attacking the single-minded centre; alas to no avail.

I have been pushed into a fully-focused-on-fiction phase. Which means I am taking a hiatus. I won’t stop reading the blogs I follow, and several more besides, but probably won’t post again for some time.

Unless something amazing happens, of course, or the blogging nodes acquire fabulous new weapons, fight back and win. :)

Black Dog

In this amazing animation, “The Black Dog’s Progress” by small time inc., a series of flipbooks tell the sad story of the Black Dog. I adore this, and have watched it over and over again!

*****

Ironically, now I have more or less recovered from cold number two, which I worked through, I feel like acting like an ill person. I want to curl up and read. When I should be ploughing forward with the novel I retired temporarily from submitting/querying and am re-writing. I had hoped to finish this re-write by early January, but not until I started did I realise how different it was to become.

I’m very pleased with the changes and excited by the story. I’m into the third and final act, and all that really remains is to bring the plot to its conclusion. Which includes lots of action. (I love action!) At this stage, I feel I should be romping through the final chapters. Yet I have slowed down. Enormously. I don’t want to, and I’m not sure why...

How contrary!

A day off might be in order.

The Graveyard Book

At the weekend, I finished reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I spent ages with this book!

When that happens, when I seem to be in the process of reading a book forever and ever... it is because it is good, good, good!!! I am enjoying the world, the characters, the story, and the writing so much that I want to stay there as long as possible. (And I do have a penchant for restricted locations -- a graveyard is perfect -- as well as a penchant for ghosts.)

Such a book feeds me with something that is greater than the sum of its parts; it makes a difference, enriches me -- leaves its mark. And, as a novice novelist, by taking time with a book, as well as being entertained, I am learning.

The Graveyard Book has made a difference to my own writing in the last few weeks. There was a great sense of both joy and calm in the way Neil Gaiman told this story, and I learned the value of sometimes slowing things down.

Now, of course, I am addicted to his blog.

A fabulous start to the reading year!

A Bright and Shiny New Year

There is nothing more optimistic than a bright and shiny new year; that wonderful sense that a page has been turned, that the future has arrived.

A new year is fresh and clean. We don’t know how it might turn out -- but it presents an opportunity to achieve our goals, to get things right.

A new year is ready to be created. It is up to us how we mark it, how we shape it, how we choose to use our time.

I have just one new-year’s resolution: to write -- but without setting unrealistic deadlines, which I did last year, and failed to meet.

I hope 2009 will be an even year, fluid and consistent, without too much disruption, upheaval or trauma.

I hope, for everyone, despite potential economic woes, 2009 will be a year filled with kindness and success! :)

Message in a Bottle

My two-week blog break turned into a three-week blog break, and now... that three-week blog break looks set to become a prolonged hiatus. I am so entangled in the imaginary worlds of both fashion and fiction it seems I will be imprisoned here for some time. Things could be worse. Much worse. I am not incarcerated in a cold, dark cell. My sentence is not indefinite. The guards are kind; they even allow me a little time online! Occasionally. And one day ... I’ll be free!! :)

Streethorsing

Tbilisi, Georgia by Martha Camarillo

I'm taking a two-week blog break. I have a design deadline approaching and want, if possible, to maintain some writing momentum (not to be confused with momentous writing ;)) amidst the craziness of completing the project.

Back in December!

Until then...

Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club Documentary
by Martha Camarillo



“In the heart of downtown Philadelphia, among abandoned buildings and impoverished neighborhoods where drugs and unemployment pervade, is a place called Fletcher Street. A block that upon first glance looks just like all the others, that is, until you see the horses and hear their hoof beats…"

Hard Work and Inspiration

My serious phase continues apace -- to the point that I might be embracing the ethic a little too wholeheartedly. For example, I have not allowed myself to stop and eat dinner until after 10 pm. And last night, I found myself propped up in bed writing elevator pitches for my no-longer-finished novel and my wonderful WIP. At 4 am! Needless to say, I drank gallons of coffee this morning.

Back to that no-longer-finished novel, no-longer-titled Hybrids Taste Delicious, which has racked up 27 rejections thus far. Some feedback gelled with the niggling doubts in the back of my mind, so I decided a rewrite was in order: a younger protagonist and a different slant to the story (more comic, less weird). Still, I wondered, with that number of rejections, had I already messed up? Perhaps I should shelve my darling first novel and forge ahead with my WIP.

But then... I read an inspiring interview with soon-to-be-published YA author Cindy Pon, who queried 121 agents!!! Making me realise I am a complete and utter lightweight. So. Come January, I will don my army fatigues, hook up with my SAS buddies, and adopt Cindy’s mantra: “Query and conquer!” To which my platoon will chorus: “To infinity and beyond!”

Boundaries

In the last two-and-a-half weeks, life has gone topsy-turvy. Not in a dramatic way (though you wouldn’t guess it from the picture), but more that it has become too amorphous in shape, too flowing in form.

Flow is good in the sense it is vital to the creative process. But if flow means one’s life is more like a flooded pond seeping down a partially blocked drain than a powerful running river, then it is time to build a damn or a channel. Time to switch off the phones, lock all the doors, and reclaim time for writing and reading.

And this is the perfect time of year. Although I’m not doing NaNo, it is helpful to grab hold of its spirit and, hopefully, hang on to the coat tails well past the end of November.

To reinforce this serious phase, I will wear my glasses from dawn till way beyond dusk -- with a tweed skirt and sensible shoes. REWIND: Second thoughts on the sensible shoes. Serious is one thing... frumpy quite another!

The Curse of the Cracked Toilet Seat

What is this blog coming to? I never thought I would stoop so low as to blog about toilets. One toilet in particular, to be more precise -- and that would be the toilet in my bathroom. But, although I am writing about my toilet, I’ll excuse myself by telling you that’s not entirely the point of this post.

In the meantime, back to the toilet seat, which, as you can see from these photos, has a lovely big crack in the lid...



Just as it did when I viewed the apartment in April. That seat was replaced. And I moved in at the beginning of June to enjoy a pristine and un-cracked loo seat ... for all of six weeks, because that seat then cracked in exactly the same place as the first one.

A couple of weeks later, the plumber replaced that seat. And all was well in the bathroom ... for about six weeks, because on Saturday evening, when no one was here, that seat then cracked in exactly the same place as the first and second one! Making this the third toilet seat to have cracked in less than six months.

Weird! Bizarre!

I thought I’d left the ghosts and ghouls behind when I moved out of my haunted house. But perhaps the little poltergeist jumped in with the pots and pans.

Or, was it a mistake to write a story about a woman who is haunted by a ghost that hangs out in her bathroom? That story is currently on submission. If it’s accepted for publication, will my toilet seat woes be over, or *shiver* have my problems only just begun...?

Blog Break

This blog is on hiatus for two or three weeks.

I’m working on a design project that has turned tricky (naughty thing). There’s a mountain to climb. I don’t mind the challenge, but need lots of energy to reach the top. Once I’ve stuck a flag in the summit, I’ll be back...


In writing news: How I love submitting short stories! (Though I’ve sent out only two, thus far.) It’s so gloriously different than querying a novel. I’m hooked! :)

The Weather...

A very British subject about which to blog.


The month of June was like March or November -- until today. Thank heavens! This afternoon we’ve had sunshine, a slight breeze, and no rain.

I don’t suffer from seasonal affective disorder, but was starting to think the lack of summer was making me SAD. I need summer. Not only because the days are longer, people are happier, the countryside is gorgeous, and it’s nice to wear sandals and sunglasses … but also because it inspires me.

My novels are set in summer. And though I could turn up the heating and dress for the beach, it’s impossible to fake the smell: sunshine on moist soil, sprinkled with freshly cut grass.

However -- and perhaps because of the terrible weather -- I have written my first autumn/winter short story. And submitted it, today! In fact, this is my first short story submission. Appalling, I know. (I might be the world’s worst writer when it comes to sending out stories.)

More Words, Less Pictures

I’ve felt frustrated these last few weeks because I haven’t had time for writing: Ahhhhh! But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about writing -- which probably made the lack of production even more frustrating.

I knew the balance had been tipped when, two days ago, my face broke out in a rash. This is my exhaustion/stress rash. It is not very pretty, and not how you want to appear when meeting your Mercedes driving neighbour for the very first time. It’s bad enough that my Toyota is parked next to his gorgeously sparkling, top-of-the-range-oozing, sporty vehicle. What does this have to do with writing? Nothing at all. (Well, perhaps there’s a story in there somewhere…)

But, the silver lining of this enforced hiatus is that I’ve stepped back -- and come up with a new title for my YA novel, on which I’ll be resuming submissions, next week. And that title is... Hybrids Taste Delicious. I love it, and can now see how off-track I was with the previous title, which did little to reflect the mood of the story.

Speaking of titles, Conduit, AKA Stuart Neville, has what is possibly the best book trailer, ever, for his well-titled thriller, The Ghosts of Belfast. It can be viewed on his website. Enjoy!

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!

Speeeeed

This week I’ve been busy writing, planning my next round of submissions to agents (must remember to keep submitting), and polishing a short story.

I have phases of focused productivity when nothing will stop me. I’m oblivious to distraction (including music blaring through the party walls). I can block out the world, and achieve in two days what might otherwise take a week!

Then I have phases when EVERYTHING is distracting (especially music blaring through the party walls).

It's a fantastic feeling to be calm and working well. But this level of productivity creates a benchmark, and I set targets based on continually achieving at a perfect pace. Then, when I falter, I’ve created the stick with which to beat my back, the reason to berate myself for failing.

But I predict: the slow-down will coincide with the release of Speed Racer, and I will venture out to the cinema for an evening of visual overload that will kick start my return to focused productivity.



I love the visual style of the Wachowski brothers' films. And Speed Racer looks amazing.


P.S. There’s a poltergeist in my office that keeps stealing my notes. This has happened twice in the last two days. On both occasions, I’ve placed an important note on the clutter-free part of my desk, only to find that when I need it -- it’s gone! And it does not turn up, even after I search through the clutter!!

A Master Class

I finished the edit, and now feel much better about the comma content of my manuscript. Phew!

It’s time to move forward, and concentrate completely on my WIP. I’ve promised myself, I will no longer keep going back and forth between the new work and -- I don’t even like to say it -- the old.

I wonder how experienced and prolific authors such as Amélie Nothomb, who wrote the best book I read in 2007, handle such transitions? (She writes three novels a year, publishing only one.)

Perhaps she tells us in this interview for Spanish TV. But I didn’t quite catch it. Perhaps when she draws in marker pen on a plastic globe, she is explaining by using a diagram. Perhaps the word Bangladesh is code for “move forward".  

Let’s see:

Purging the Comma

I’m busy with yet another edit of the novel I’m submitting to agents.

I found writing the pitch and synopsis so difficult, such a test of endurance; I was astonished to receive two requests for sample chapters. My letter and synopsis had worked! I couldn’t believe it; I was high as a kite! 

But several weeks later, I had been kindly rejected by both.
Uh, oh…

So I went back to the manuscript. Some agents might not like the style, the voice, or the story. But if they do, it must be as perfect as humanly possible, which meant… I needed to address, what seemed to me, a sometimes-funky use of the comma.

The comma is the punctuation mark with which I struggle. Whenever I’m unsure about whether or not a comma is necessary, I remember an episode from childhood. I panic, becoming incapable of making a confident decision, because I have post-traumatic comma disorder (PTCD).

For a whole terrifying year, a very stern and scary teacher shrieked at me because of my use of the comma: “NEVER, EVER! USE A COMMA BEFORE THE WORD, AND.”
(I sneaked one into that quote as an act of defiance.)

Clearly he was wrong.

But still, I lack confidence in using the comma.

Research

My current WIP is a contemporary novel with an historical element, which means lots and lots of research! Some research, or a lot of research would probably be enough, but I seem to be doing masses and masses! I’m drowning in books and printouts -- some still unread.

Perhaps I have a geeky academic or collecting urge that lay dormant until now. Perhaps I don’t want to miss an amazing piece of information I don’t know exists -- but won’t find if I stop looking! Perhaps I’m just really enjoying wearing my glasses and ploughing through tons of material. (It’s great!)

I’m so bitten by the bug that, on Wednesday, I attended an auction of antiquarian books and bid on lot 64. I could not honestly say it was vital to my research, yet I felt compelled to have it. And a valuable item can always be sold on, hopefully at a profit.

The auction was well attended. The guide price for lot 64: £50 to £80. I imagined no one else would want it, and I’d probably go home with a bargain. Two others were bidding before I stuck up my hand.

“The lady’s in,” said the auctioneer.

An uncomfortable spotlight moment; he wasn’t commenting on the other bidders!

“£130, the lady … The lady’s still in at £180 … £210 … The lady’s out ... £220 to Jarvis!”

At those prices, what on earth was I doing? Well, Jarvis was determined to beat “the lady”. Whatever lot 64 meant to me, it was more valuable to him. But no way will he make a profit! :)

And Moving Means… Shopping!

After last week’s roller-coaster ride on the local property market, I took off on Friday evening to celebrate with a friend who lives fifty miles away. It’s an easy drive from west to east. And I always imagine the road as a straight line, even though, in fact, it isn’t. But never mind…

On Saturday we toured furniture and department stores. Daisy, my eleven-year-old protagonist, kept popping up with her thoughts and opinions, but was polite enough not to comment out loud. (Her manners are definitely improving!) However, she did drag me into a couple of clothes shops and surprise me with her choices. She has an eye when it comes to creating a look; though she wants you to know, she’s not massively interested in fashion.

Together, my friend and I quickly developed a scheme for the new apartment. Before driving home on Saturday night, I broke the news that, after totting up our selection, I couldn’t afford the Ligne Roset sofas -- just yet!

She looked straight at me. “And the silk curtains for your bedroom?”

“Don’t worry; they are my TOP priority.”

“Thank heavens,” she said.

“Phew!” Daisy sighed.

This girl has exceptional taste!

Yes, I'm Moving

I made a decision on the apartment. The deal is done, and, if all goes according to plan, I will be moving in 8 to 10 weeks!!!


No more endless cleaning!
No more gardening!
No more parking problems!
No more music blaring through the party walls! (I hope.)


I could not be happier. I feel light as a newborn lamb.













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In writing news...

The main character in my WIP is an eleven-year-old girl named Daisy. This is the youngest MC I’ve written. And the problem is … she’s spilling over into everyday life. I’m thinking like an eleven-year-old, even in grown-up situations! (Daisy likes the new apartment, very much.)

Time to create some boundaries!