Last week (27th April - 3rd May), I was the Crowvus Author of the week. For the first five days I wrote a blog on various ways in which I become inspired. These were:
The lockdown has given us plenty of opportunity to do this!
I had the idea of writing a series of short stories with the same group of characters, and that's what I've been on with for most of this week. I haven't finished any, but that's just the problem of writing outside - too many distractions - but so much inspiration! Currently, I have characters I write short stories about for the following genres:
High Fantasy
Historical Fantasy
Mystery
Historical Fiction
Probably no surprises there!
My New Year's Resolution is continuing, having made submissions to KSAA's #Chatterton250 and The First Line. Time will tell how those get on. If nothing else, I'm building up a collection of poems and stories of which I am proud.
In other news (that is: wearing my publisher hat!) the 4th Crowvus Ghost Story Competition is now open for entries. Head over and have a peek! The other judges and I are putting together a free eBook of our own ghostly experiences - this is coming out in mid- to late May.
Remember! You can read my books here, here and here(this one's free until 20th May).
Someone pointed out to me that a blog was a good way of sharing ideas and thoughts on writing. Since there are very few activities I love as much as writing, I decided to give it a go, and share some of my 2020 antics with you, one writer to another, this author to her readers.
2020 is a new decade and so I've set myself a new writing challenge or two. My New Year resolution was to enter one writing competition/award each week and, so far, I've managed to stick to it. I'm 12 entries in, and scribbling eagerly at number 13!
Although that resolution has constantly pressing deadlines, by far the harder goal I've set myself is to write a book in each major genre. Until now, all my books have had an historical backdrop, but this year will see the release of my first contemporary novel, a thriller with the working title Among These Dark Satanic Mills. This has been a while in the making but, when my publishing team suggested it was good enough to put "out there", I decided I wanted to know if I could write in other genres.
At the moment I'm writing a horror novel, trying to balance the right amount of cliche with a fresh plot and my own style of telling the story. I'm not sure horror is the genre I'm best cut out for, but we'll see how the end product looks!
In a way, I have NaNoWriMo to thank for this new challenge. Stories I have stored up in my head for months and years formed the basis for my first November writing month last year. Going back to these plot lines, scrawled in the tiny notebook I keep by my pillow, has given me a new drive to get them written. So far, it's still at the enjoyable stage!
There’s a scene towards the end of The Return of the King
when the hobbits have returned to The Shire and everyone is in the tavern,
oblivious to the fact that anything life-changing has happened. Leaving aside the fact that this was not at
all like the book, it is the silence and expressions of these four characters
which mirror my own.
Dunalastair Estate of Outlander fame
and our destination for Easter
Usually, after a two-week holiday, I grumble a little bit
about where the time has gone and bemoan the fact that I’ve wasted it. I never really did outgrow that. This time, though, I don’t know how I’ve
fitted it all in. I’ve clocked up over
2000 miles on the road, visited one of my stomping grounds, and discovered riches
and ruins of Highland Perthshire. But it’s
not that which left me in a confused limbo between worlds. I became a published author.
My new book with hundreds of its ancestors
at Innerpeffray Library
After travelling back home to the far north of Scotland, I
wandered around my local Tesco with a feeling and expression akin to those four
hobbits. No one in the shop knew – or cared
– about the whirlwind adventure I’d been on.
But certainly, I feel I’ve accomplished a great thing.
It’s frightening putting yourself out there. After all, your soul must leach onto the page
a little bit to create a story which is worth sharing. I’ve been performing since my age was in
single figures, sometimes even for local or international dignitaries, but I’d
never been as scared as I was standing in front of people and reading my own
text to them. I really felt I was baring
my soul, and not just to the people who were at the book launch events, but to
the whole world.
Thankfully, at my first event, the Duckegg Theatre Company
were there to enact some of the scenes.
And what an amazing job they made of it!
[Full videos are on the Facebook page]
The second event had a much more intimate setting in the
beautiful hidden gem of Innerpeffray Library, an historical venue, perfect for
the book launch.
An author in her natural habitat: A library!
You can read the blog about the two launches here.
Why have I told you all this? Well, to say thank you, really. This thing which passed so many people by in
silence and obscurity has meant a great deal to me. So, to you who have discovered this blog;
have read the book; have attended and even performed at the launch events:
Thank you. It may not seem like a big
thing, but it’s the world to me.
Taken from your words written in the guestbook.
The book is here in paperback and here in ebook format. And here’s a section to whet your appetite:
CHAPTER FOUR
Sunday 7th September 1806
Summer in Petrovia Lodge lacked the exciting comings and goings of
London, but it was far from dull. The company of the three sisters had improved
immensely and they now spent every moment laughing over things that occurred
and celebrating the long summer days. The gypsies had moved on now leaving, as
usual, gifts for the family in exchange for the permission to reside on their
land. The usual gifts of wooden pegs and finely carved figures of animals were
left by the river, but in addition Madame Kerina paid a visit up to the house.
It was the eve of their departure and she walked up the lawn, calling out in a
strange language and in a loud voice so that the five inhabitants of the lodge
rushed out to see what it was. She walked up to Arabella and tied a soft red
ribbon about her neck.
‘I have seen a child on the lawns of Petrovia Lodge. Do not wear the
black of mourning for long, my dear. I hear wedding bells ringing, with
laughter but a taste of sorrow.’
‘Wedding bells?’ Arabella whispered, hardly daring to believe the
witch who stood before her, yet desperate to do so.
Madame Kerina did not speak again but hobbled away back to the
settlement of caravans. Each of the women looked down at the ribbon around
Arabella’s neck and, as one, her sisters began congratulating her as though it
never occurred to them that the divination may have been incorrect.
September made its appearance in its usual golden way while summer
clawed at the earth, doing everything it could to maintain its hold. The fruits
of the trees by the river shone as they grew and, where edible, the girls
walked down each day to collect them.
‘Nothing tastes so good as a freshly
picked apple,’ Catherine announced as she bit into one.
‘We are meant to be taking them back up to the lodge, Cat,’ Imogen
replied. ‘We’re already behind with this, and we stand no chance of getting to
the top of the trees as Hamish used to.’
‘I can get to the top,’ Catherine replied fearlessly, gripping the
apple she was eating firmly in her teeth and commencing the climbing of the
tree.
‘You know you should not compare Cat
to any man, she has to beat them.’ Arabella looked up as Catherine called down.
While I've been working alongside the Crowvus team to prepare for the three Book Launch events, I've read SO MANY websites about creating a good and effective launch. I can tell you now, not one of them works entirely.
So in this Blog I intend to address some of the issues I've faced around planning my own Book Launch, with perhaps a few harsh truths thrown in.
Budget - Almost all lists suggest that you set your budget and stick to it. Make sure that you stay within what you can afford. This is a fair comment because you can bet that, as soon as you go from posting cute pictures of your dog on Facebook to posting your Crowdfunder page, most of your friends suddenly treat you like a pariah. "Virginia who?"
Entertainment - Clearly most people who turn up to a book launch are there to see the author. But having an alternative - but thematic - entertainment can also be very welcome. However, expect to be ignored by these people 50% of the time, turned down 30% of the time and gain success the other 20%. At this point I have to pay huge thankful recognition to Duckegg Theatre Company who were the first people I asked and who have supported me from the word go: "You guys are amazing!
Venue - I landed on my feet here and got some real support! Choosing somewhere that will draw in like-minded people is crucial. It's worth looking around carefully before you choose. "I've always wanted to go there!"
Blog Tour - This is a great idea! There are so many successful blogs around that if you write a post for them it'll be helping all involved. Plus, for the main part, book bloggers are quite a nice bunch. "Blog it out!"
Reading - Choosing which passages from your book you want to deliver. I have to admit that, whilst the rest of the organisation has been a nightmare, this is the part that fills me with dread. I'm a trained teacher, and talking in front of people does not phase me. But READING in front of them, and from something that contains heartfelt words from your own soul, is downright daunting. "Please don't laugh..."
Advertise - As aforementioned, social media is not always the best way to gain support, although throw it out once, twice, thrice... Actually keep on putting it out there until people get bored of it and agree to attend the launch just to shut you up. "Hello? Hello, friends?"
Advertise - Get local press involved. Don't email though, as that is easy to be ignored. Give them a ring. Or if, like me, you have an aversion to telephones get your agent/publisher/friend/random-person-you-grabbed-off-the-street to call for you. "Yes, you don't know me because I'm a debut author..."
Advertise - This is the soul destroying part where you realise that, despite your best efforts to coax, cajole or beg people to attend AND the £££s that you've spent persuading them don't seem to be getting you anywhere, you break your budget as you pay to appear on that one bus shelter you're sure will make all the difference. "Of course it was worth mortgaging the house three times, I'm on the billboard three miles outside town!"
And then you turn up, convinced that the only people there will be your immediate family, faithfuls of the venue and those three trusty friends who'd follow you anywhere. And are you correct? Well, let's wait and see!
