Monday, 22 February 2010
My Book Has a Trailer
There are many elements to my first novel, but I liked the idea of basing the book trailer on the relationship between the main character and an unusual and special friend who plays an important role in the plot. This part of the story starts very early in the book so nothing here spoils anything beyond about the third chapter.
Awards, Announcements, and Anguish
The official email came through, confirming I was a finalist, and inviting me to the Shorty Awards ceremony in New York. I declined. Obviously. Where the heck would I find the cash for a plane ticket? If you're there, when they say 'the nominees are...' and read out my name, raise a glass in the direction of England.
I announced - finally - my desire to self-publish. How long have I battled with that one? It was always the shiny option for me, but I know that is not a widely held view so I kept putting off the moment I dedicated myself to it in public. Commitment-phobe. I made the announcement yesterday on my blog - From Brain to Bookshelf yesterday.
This will be hard. People yearn for the perfect publishing deal, where they are free from the burdens of enterprise and left to do nothing but write. I'm not one of them, but I am aware of the task ahead. Anguish and adventure, here I come.
I announced - finally - my desire to self-publish. How long have I battled with that one? It was always the shiny option for me, but I know that is not a widely held view so I kept putting off the moment I dedicated myself to it in public. Commitment-phobe. I made the announcement yesterday on my blog - From Brain to Bookshelf yesterday.
This will be hard. People yearn for the perfect publishing deal, where they are free from the burdens of enterprise and left to do nothing but write. I'm not one of them, but I am aware of the task ahead. Anguish and adventure, here I come.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Last 2 Days of the Shorty Awards
I am an official finalist. Reading all the reasons people give for nominating me is so reassuring. Sometimes, online, it can be hard to know whether you are helping anyone or not. The number of times people have used the word 'inspiring' or mentioned that I have encouraged them to write etc has been a pleasant surprise. When I'm panicking about money and its impact on my health (another three bouts of hypothermia in the last week) it can be hard to get a sense of perspective or worth. When my book comes out, I'm happy to take credit for my writing - it has taken years of hard slog to get this far - but in terms of the Shorty Awards I am more than happy to pin the credit on my followers. You lot are the ones placing the votes and giving the reasons. Whatever position I reach in this contest is down to you. Thank you.
http://shortyawards.com/ (literature category)
http://shortyawards.com/ (literature category)
Saturday, 30 January 2010
May be in the Final of the Shorty Awards
Exhausted. Three hours sleep last night. I don't envy the politicians campaigning for votes for the next few months; it's only been a few weeks for me and I'm less animated than a non-possessed ventriloquist's dummy without its ventriloquist.
It looks as if I made it through to the final. It will take them a couple of days to judge, so I may still have missed out. If anyone ever nominates me for another award of this kind I'm not getting involved. End of. The foot is going down; it has hit the floor; the foot is down. I have put my foot down. No more contests.
Must sleep, then write, then sleep, then repeat until book is finished.
Goodnight,
Rebecca
blog.rebeccawoodhead.com
It looks as if I made it through to the final. It will take them a couple of days to judge, so I may still have missed out. If anyone ever nominates me for another award of this kind I'm not getting involved. End of. The foot is going down; it has hit the floor; the foot is down. I have put my foot down. No more contests.
Must sleep, then write, then sleep, then repeat until book is finished.
Goodnight,
Rebecca
blog.rebeccawoodhead.com
Friday, 22 January 2010
Only a Few Weeks Until my Deadline
Not long to go and I am in agony and completely exhausted. My characters are not willing to play ball and my mind is so full of the business side of writing that my creative self is struggling for breath.
At least I'm not 27. Nearly a decade has passed by since then. Today, I looked at a piece of writing recovered from the vaults of the internet that I wrote in that year. By coincidence, I also stumbled onto the blog of another 27 year old. I revisited that time: too old to be young and not old enough to be deemed wise with any sense of conviction, regardless of evidence to the contrary. In many ways, I feel less old approaching my 37th birthday than I did approaching my 27th. Many of the dreams I had a decade ago have been accomplished. 27 felt like running in traffic that someone else was controlling. Now, I feel I am at the wheel of my own vehicle. I know what it looks like and all the little idiosyncrasies with its controls and I'm happy to drive it. I threw out the sat nav a long time back. I prefer not to have my course dictated to me any more. Wherever I end up, is down to me. I'm enjoying the journey, and if my characters don't want to play ball? Tough. I have a novel to finish.
At least I'm not 27. Nearly a decade has passed by since then. Today, I looked at a piece of writing recovered from the vaults of the internet that I wrote in that year. By coincidence, I also stumbled onto the blog of another 27 year old. I revisited that time: too old to be young and not old enough to be deemed wise with any sense of conviction, regardless of evidence to the contrary. In many ways, I feel less old approaching my 37th birthday than I did approaching my 27th. Many of the dreams I had a decade ago have been accomplished. 27 felt like running in traffic that someone else was controlling. Now, I feel I am at the wheel of my own vehicle. I know what it looks like and all the little idiosyncrasies with its controls and I'm happy to drive it. I threw out the sat nav a long time back. I prefer not to have my course dictated to me any more. Wherever I end up, is down to me. I'm enjoying the journey, and if my characters don't want to play ball? Tough. I have a novel to finish.
Monday, 4 January 2010
Twelfth Night Deadline Fright
Only just over a month until I finish my first draft. Stephen Fry has got The Fear and abandoned Twitter and the like for total writerly seclusion and his book's not due until April. Okay, I don't have a publisher breathing down my neck but I've never missed my mid-Feb deadline and I don't plan to start now. My New Year prediction is that I will disappear into Writer World until mid-Feb.
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Not Yet at the Publishing Banquet but I can Smell the Turkey
Only a little while now until my next self-imposed deadline. Another book must unleash itself from my brain by Valentine's Day. Good old Valentine, saint of my first-draft deadlines.
It is tougher this year. For one thing, hypothermia is a constant threat to my continued existence and, to be honest, that is annoying enough to require an entirely new swear word. For another thing, there is so much more to do. I wished and worked for this 'platform' thing and envisioned about 800 to 1000 followers by this point, but it's somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 now! I can't organise a dinner party for four people, how the heck am I supposed to entertain that number? Of course, much of it is Stephen Fry's fault and I will have stern words when next we meet. He just threw followers at me with no thought for the work load at this end. Did he ask if I had food and beds for that number? No. The manners on that man. Honestly!
It turns out that this 'platform' thing is just a bunch of readers, so I have thousands of people to talk books with. It's like the biggest book group imaginable. This is all fine and large but I like talking books and all things literary so I never leave. It is catnip to the inner Word Nerd. Twitter's the worst: within minutes you can hear about a book, speak to the writer, buy it and congratulate the publisher. Is wordy wonderland. Fortunately, that wordy wonderland has put me in touch with some agents and publishers who've asked for my work. The last month in particular has been crazy. I can almost smell the publishing deal!
Right, well, I'm off now. Christmas to have.
Thanks to everyone who's read my diary in the last few months. If you pop across to my site, rebeccawoodhead.com you can hear my radio debut. If you want to help me to get published (such a fabulous Christmas gift) it will cost you nothing and require only a couple of clicks - http://tiny.cc/PublishRebecca
Thank you and Merry Christmas xxx
Rebecca
It is tougher this year. For one thing, hypothermia is a constant threat to my continued existence and, to be honest, that is annoying enough to require an entirely new swear word. For another thing, there is so much more to do. I wished and worked for this 'platform' thing and envisioned about 800 to 1000 followers by this point, but it's somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 now! I can't organise a dinner party for four people, how the heck am I supposed to entertain that number? Of course, much of it is Stephen Fry's fault and I will have stern words when next we meet. He just threw followers at me with no thought for the work load at this end. Did he ask if I had food and beds for that number? No. The manners on that man. Honestly!
It turns out that this 'platform' thing is just a bunch of readers, so I have thousands of people to talk books with. It's like the biggest book group imaginable. This is all fine and large but I like talking books and all things literary so I never leave. It is catnip to the inner Word Nerd. Twitter's the worst: within minutes you can hear about a book, speak to the writer, buy it and congratulate the publisher. Is wordy wonderland. Fortunately, that wordy wonderland has put me in touch with some agents and publishers who've asked for my work. The last month in particular has been crazy. I can almost smell the publishing deal!
Right, well, I'm off now. Christmas to have.
Thanks to everyone who's read my diary in the last few months. If you pop across to my site, rebeccawoodhead.com you can hear my radio debut. If you want to help me to get published (such a fabulous Christmas gift) it will cost you nothing and require only a couple of clicks - http://tiny.cc/PublishRebecca
Thank you and Merry Christmas xxx
Rebecca
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