tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47955052062912061482024-03-13T21:29:05.125-07:00AMANDA BRITTANY'S BLOGWelcome to my blog, where I talk about all things writerly.
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-45716257135734455542018-10-26T02:59:00.005-07:002018-10-28T02:44:14.009-07:00Novel Settings in HER LAST LIE & TELL THE TRUTH<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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How important are settings in novels? Well of course, very important. Albeit a fictional place, or a real place, the reader needs to believe they have visited the area you've described.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I found this really useful blog post about how to get your settings just right: <a href="https://www.nownovel.com/blog/talking-about-setting-time/">HERE</a></div>
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And this helpful post about choosing between fictional and non-fictional settings: <a href="https://www.novel-writing-help.com/fictional-settings.html">HERE</a></div>
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In HER LAST LIE all my settings are real places (albeit with a tiny bit of poetic licence) When Isla travels to Sweden, and her life unravels, I hope the
reader believes they were there with her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB4M9cQGlLRE2s9bNant2ngIKQm3psP-sI6v9O_HA5GSsJtuXuMdd6tIUBhLKW7dTr62-a_qAj0OsLNSlQ2dMhMD5qCt6BdrKJIsiP66XdtOFHAFUJJk9EZA5eEhfT5CzDrNpkmmi08g/s1600/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB4M9cQGlLRE2s9bNant2ngIKQm3psP-sI6v9O_HA5GSsJtuXuMdd6tIUBhLKW7dTr62-a_qAj0OsLNSlQ2dMhMD5qCt6BdrKJIsiP66XdtOFHAFUJJk9EZA5eEhfT5CzDrNpkmmi08g/s200/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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Isla meets long-term
boyfriend Jack outside Strand/Aldwych disused underground, and I was lucky
enough to take a tour of the inside. It was a fascinating place
to visit, and made me realise that my settings in HER LAST LIE are either places I’ve visited and loved, or
places that I’ve heard of, that fascinate me. I even included my home town, and found losing myself in words about a place I was so familiar with,
very enjoyable. More about HER LAST LIE'S settings can be found <a href="https://writingallsorts.blogspot.com/2018/02/settings-in-her-last-lie.html">HERE</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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I think the most important thing is to imagine you are actually in the places you are writing about. Maybe print off photos of the place and pin them up around you, or close your eyes and visualise yourself there. If you've never been, read up as much as you can about the area, watch videos on You Tube, and look at images on the internet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRQEF4QwF2bD9al8hs9VJVCoel56mTqiaftNySSyPskIoblJtK8e8xziEopZOEfc73ldnhyhoCWfaOuMOar_tofzRLKFc_qS5a_G3UvX3Pj_2mdWyPwXN-nlwArc6hCgdO4yW4qwwQiw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-10-26+at+10.49.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="1386" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRQEF4QwF2bD9al8hs9VJVCoel56mTqiaftNySSyPskIoblJtK8e8xziEopZOEfc73ldnhyhoCWfaOuMOar_tofzRLKFc_qS5a_G3UvX3Pj_2mdWyPwXN-nlwArc6hCgdO4yW4qwwQiw/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-10-26+at+10.49.02.png" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi103h4wzS9rL_JqIqhgdoewm-GzEhHLLIEHqcjM4L7koy7OOtSiavG5DCjPXpvIjABfwk8bis-2JUFPeKxNpaZLeMtJmPrPM0OylnGNOof5xFuKUJmy48ylaUFBMt5eTRdDnbrsPEYdss/s1600/TELLTHE+TRUTH+COVER.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="436" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi103h4wzS9rL_JqIqhgdoewm-GzEhHLLIEHqcjM4L7koy7OOtSiavG5DCjPXpvIjABfwk8bis-2JUFPeKxNpaZLeMtJmPrPM0OylnGNOof5xFuKUJmy48ylaUFBMt5eTRdDnbrsPEYdss/s320/TELLTHE+TRUTH+COVER.png" width="202" /></a>My second novel TELL THE TRUTH is out in December 2018, and one of
the settings is County Sligo in Ireland. I chose there for two reasons.
One is because my Grandfather was Irish, and was born in Cliffony, County
Sligo, and two, because when I visited the area, it fascinated me so much. However, the area within County Sligo I've written about is fictional.</div>
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The
second area I’ve focused on in TELL THE TRUTH is Finchley, London, because each
time I travel into London, I see the Emirates Stadium, and Finchley opening up
behind it, and it intrigued me somehow. I’ve also included a rather spooky spa, although my novel is a
psychological thriller, rather than a ghostly tale! <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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If you would like to download HER LAST LIE, you can do so
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Last-Lie-gripping-psychological-ebook/dp/B072TWQCCL/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1540547014&sr=1-1&keywords=amanda+brittany">HERE</a>. You may already know I’m donating all Ebook royalties to Cancer Research UK, and that I've already
raised almost £7000.<o:p></o:p></div>
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TELL THE TRUTH is out December 2018, and can be pre-ordered
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tell-Truth-theyll-tell-you-ebook/dp/B07DD4S1H1/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8">HERE</a> at just 99p. With a paperback following in February 2019.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-36099263578759041372018-04-11T04:31:00.004-07:002018-04-11T22:55:24.184-07:00‘Her Last Lie’ The first 3 months of being published.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It’s been an amazing 3 months, since my debut novel ‘Her
Last Lie’ was first published on January 9th 2018. </div>
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There have been some exciting ups
as I watched my novel become a best seller in its category, and saw it climb its way into the top 100 Kindle chart in the US and Australia. I was amazed too
to see it reach #116 in the UK Kindle chart. I never thought I would have a
book published, let alone reach such amazing chart positions. At one point I
was nestled between Jo Nesbo and Tess<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Gerritsen </span>- how cool is that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKBknX2-jY0Bk041d-ipKCxzI0T64Wj39N9v7qilEUsiBXujaSwio4NFfF5ArLFhBYndfX7lG8Cm3zeXp2BKd6_MXcFbSxwx7EZpjF9Du9kP8pJENpik_wzOVV-7c2AL3DjW-s3pKjvw/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="1600" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKBknX2-jY0Bk041d-ipKCxzI0T64Wj39N9v7qilEUsiBXujaSwio4NFfF5ArLFhBYndfX7lG8Cm3zeXp2BKd6_MXcFbSxwx7EZpjF9Du9kP8pJENpik_wzOVV-7c2AL3DjW-s3pKjvw/s320/IMG_0851.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLASBnXQW50_luefgyscTgrnS9DK88FmqDdvSMqFKQcB5AVSe8RbHPR-qpi2tCj84URBkrQMlvJfTwar-lrhyphenhyphenQxjs-E0y8tPCFV2TGTR4DYL7O6Jddhb4He0MbXVArUih5WZQpZL2h8M0/s1600/IMG_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLASBnXQW50_luefgyscTgrnS9DK88FmqDdvSMqFKQcB5AVSe8RbHPR-qpi2tCj84URBkrQMlvJfTwar-lrhyphenhyphenQxjs-E0y8tPCFV2TGTR4DYL7O6Jddhb4He0MbXVArUih5WZQpZL2h8M0/s200/IMG_0693.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I was thrilled and truly grateful to Karen Byrom for mentioning 'Her Last Lie' in My Weekly. I was chuffed too to appear in the local paper, and to chat on BBC
Three Counties Radio. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">And </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve also met some lovely people on Twitter. I</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">f I’m honest (and this is between you and me) I've never been very good at the whole social media malarkey - it's completely out of my comfort zone of hot water bottles and fluffy slippers, so I never expected to enjoy my time on there as much as I do. In fact, I've even set up a Facebook page, an Instagram page and a website. GO ME! Details below if you want to have a wee look.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amandabrittany2/">HERE</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Twitter: @amandajbrittany</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Instagram: amanda_brittany_author</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Website: <a href="http://www.amandabrittany.co.uk/">HERE</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp3TNvwWydt1KF3gGYmIZ-yjYVATYDAepvl6uV1pR29NRChei4Iqe07JjGAc6cr0_z3r-B3oFwa0osmwHShSxarL2nS5qOK67GVLzDH8czbJcdWt6CwDo1ozqshR_hL4NfN2eUBDX0ug/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-04-11+at+12.20.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="576" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp3TNvwWydt1KF3gGYmIZ-yjYVATYDAepvl6uV1pR29NRChei4Iqe07JjGAc6cr0_z3r-B3oFwa0osmwHShSxarL2nS5qOK67GVLzDH8czbJcdWt6CwDo1ozqshR_hL4NfN2eUBDX0ug/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-04-11+at+12.20.42.png" width="175" /></a>Another upside of being published was receiving my very first month’s royalties for my ebooks. I’ve whizzed the money straight over to my Just Giving Page
<a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/amanda-brittany">HERE</a> which I set up when my sister became ill, and I will continue to put my royalties there each month. It will be such a thrill to see
the amount grow. Thanks SO much to everyone who has downloaded a copy - you are all brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you enjoyed it, and would like to pop
on a review that would be absolutely FANTASTIC!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can do so <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Last-Lie-gripping-psychological-ebook/dp/B072TWQCCL/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1523445156&sr=1-1&keywords=her+last+lie&dpID=51BxaAxfIML&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch">HERE</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In fact, you can have my last Rolo if you do. 😃</span>If you didn’t enjoy it, let's pretend I never
said anything.</div>
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Actually, that brings me onto the hardest thing I’ve found
with being published – it’s the negative reviews. I hadn’t realised how much
they would hurt! I tend to keep reading the wonderful 4s and 5s to remind
myself I must keep writing, as it’s so easy to let the 1s and 2s get under my skin. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I am getting better at just accepting them
as the months go on - and try to avoid reading them if I can. Sadly, they go with the territory – not many writers get
away with none at all – and everyone has a right to an opinion – and sometimes
(although not always!) they can say something that might help my writing in the future.
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Anyway, I'm clearly not letting them get me down too much, as I’ve just typed The End on an
early draft of novel 2 – so it won’t be long before I whiz it off to my editor
with everything crossed that she likes it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">And that's about it for the first 3 months! </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you everyone for all your support. 😘</span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-3822652175787218422018-02-27T06:35:00.001-08:002018-02-27T06:59:47.293-08:00Settings in 'Her Last Lie' <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwhXO4xoG5yXy0pszJWXshk3SOcjJNFFgCHMpjXeyDpZh0Nk-Fd_QTrMwFjnhICKoS_ktbRwnl5WtxfIB5DN4aFouXoJoGTsRb0DivzNsMHK8ZjA5DwQ8XPjrA-qRQfo_zEMN6t34iv8/s1600/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwhXO4xoG5yXy0pszJWXshk3SOcjJNFFgCHMpjXeyDpZh0Nk-Fd_QTrMwFjnhICKoS_ktbRwnl5WtxfIB5DN4aFouXoJoGTsRb0DivzNsMHK8ZjA5DwQ8XPjrA-qRQfo_zEMN6t34iv8/s200/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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It was great fun including places I’ve been to, and the area where I’ve lived all my life, in my debut psychological thriller. I enjoy conjuring up fictional settings, but to describe places I know so well, was a real treat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MRpnICQx9OQF5qPlQWMTDQ6RK1kAm24UXZwIjOPkQOsxI9gynLYycHvgdLT9msUK7e4ftTZU-cREsabphxUZrxoCRtNlwuiz-l2u93cAVdEvzcFz5cvj4i-4q-T6mifqsGPXxhyphenhyphenZfPQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-02-27+at+14.10.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="956" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MRpnICQx9OQF5qPlQWMTDQ6RK1kAm24UXZwIjOPkQOsxI9gynLYycHvgdLT9msUK7e4ftTZU-cREsabphxUZrxoCRtNlwuiz-l2u93cAVdEvzcFz5cvj4i-4q-T6mifqsGPXxhyphenhyphenZfPQ/s200/Screen+Shot+2018-02-27+at+14.10.14.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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My main character, Isla, travels by train into Letchworth Garden City Station at the start of the novel. <span style="font-family: "wingdings";">☺</span><br />
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Her apartment and a restaurant are fictional, but she does take a walk along the very real Greenway, and the park is based on Howard Park.<o:p></o:p><br />
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There's a scene where Isla visits Hitchin Market, and sits by St. Mary’s Church and the River Hiz. (Something I’ve done many, many times.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The church in the scene set in Baldock, is based on St. Mary the Virgin Church.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is also a scene set in Hunstanton, a place I visited often as a child, and somewhere I’ve taken my own children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Me in Narvik</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><br /></span>Further afield for Isla, she travels to The Blue Mountains in Australia, Abisko in Sweden, Narvik in Norway, and there are various scenes set in Canada.<br />
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<i>Her Last Lie</i> can be downloaded on ibook or ebook, with all royalties going to Cancer Research UK</div>
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Amazon: <a href="http://amzn.to/2jedgo7">HERE</a></div>
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IBook: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/her-last-lie/id1265789286?mt=11">HERE</a></div>
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At the moment, I'm writing my second novel for HQ Digital, and crossing my fingers I can come up with some equally lovely settings.</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-79639199178820417992018-01-23T05:23:00.000-08:002018-01-23T07:18:20.563-08:00Talking about 'Her Last Lie' on BBC Three Counties RadioOn Friday, I was thrilled to be invited onto BBC Three Counties Radio, to talk about <i>Her Last Lie, </i>and why I'm giving my royalties to Cancer Research UK.<br />
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I arrived at the studio in Dunstable a wee bit early. I didn't want to be late. It was a cold but bright day, and I felt a wee bit strange as we walked towards the BBC building. In fact, it felt surreal, as though it was all about to happen to someone else.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWc-0legUl3rEfQXZikXkeUPqFwMqjOQnekqab7jqPNip6Y3x6mUu_f7lPtMgcaRJxS69JIfX80NuWath0Seiv-ynVXh_0DyvvbzKZ1mI3tvzPqsoLKneCqeqxiceOTncN4s2odxsW5A/s1600/IMG_0688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWc-0legUl3rEfQXZikXkeUPqFwMqjOQnekqab7jqPNip6Y3x6mUu_f7lPtMgcaRJxS69JIfX80NuWath0Seiv-ynVXh_0DyvvbzKZ1mI3tvzPqsoLKneCqeqxiceOTncN4s2odxsW5A/s320/IMG_0688.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After my husband had snapped a photo of me standing outside, I pressed the buzzer, and was let in by a smiley man who told me to take a seat in reception.<br />
<br />
Within a few minutes, the producer of ‘Mystery Guest’ Kady Braine appeared. She was so friendly; my nerves began to melt away. Although when she offered me a cup of tea, I declined, as I would probably have spilt the tea all over the floor. I can't be trusted!<br />
<br />
She told me briefly what would happen next, and then left me for about ten minutes.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodkuIZFjgDlISLG38soV4o-yVOxkcmBC4spw2upXgbNew_dkdiD0LoOyshcyMyrVbvJG2LdC9r5SIhIj_eGiP4PhsFcaBupFlLn4UcHQ4_tB4-mKYYWOKnb72qbrxg7USFJmw9jnKO-o/s1600/IMG_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodkuIZFjgDlISLG38soV4o-yVOxkcmBC4spw2upXgbNew_dkdiD0LoOyshcyMyrVbvJG2LdC9r5SIhIj_eGiP4PhsFcaBupFlLn4UcHQ4_tB4-mKYYWOKnb72qbrxg7USFJmw9jnKO-o/s200/IMG_0693.JPG" width="150" /></a>When she reappeared, I was taken to a small studio. Inside was a mic, and I popped on headphones, and listened to Nick Coffer on air for a while, amusing his audience with funny anecdotes, before he played some music.<br />
<br />
When the music stopped, I was on air, and my heart was thumping a bit too hard. Nick asked me questions, trying to guess why I was there. He got the reason pretty quickly, although I gave him a huge clue – that the only thing I ever exercised is my fingers. (True story!)<br />
<br />
More music, as I was taken through to Nick’s snazzy studio and sat down opposite him, another mic inches from my face.<br />
<br />
Questions followed, and Nick carried me through brilliantly, as I told him about <em>Her Last Lie </em>and the reasons why I’m giving my royalties to Cancer Research UK. Talking about my sister brought a lump to my throat, but hopefully nobody noticed.<br />
<br />
It was a brilliant experience, and one I will remember always.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkDdloKLzNOgKt1c2Xgg9lU4ASow8-RHqQT0KxbLpSQE-JQbzi9MWqWCvaaSUyl23Sj8OEp_06y4zNJ3HRNwpqiwo-olKG-kJaIEJG0eP7_MNmGJY3THozCL29_ez4tCcH8kVuQfk7fE/s1600/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYkDdloKLzNOgKt1c2Xgg9lU4ASow8-RHqQT0KxbLpSQE-JQbzi9MWqWCvaaSUyl23Sj8OEp_06y4zNJ3HRNwpqiwo-olKG-kJaIEJG0eP7_MNmGJY3THozCL29_ez4tCcH8kVuQfk7fE/s320/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<i>Her Last Lie </i>is, by some kind of miracle, is a #no.1 bestseller, and can be bought from Amazon or iBooks for just 99p. <br />
<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-41259953809732499812017-11-13T01:27:00.001-08:002018-01-23T05:40:14.497-08:00Her Last Lie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’m excited to share the cover of my soon-to-be-published debut
novel. I think it's rather lovely, and am in awe of the extremely talented designer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB4M9cQGlLRE2s9bNant2ngIKQm3psP-sI6v9O_HA5GSsJtuXuMdd6tIUBhLKW7dTr62-a_qAj0OsLNSlQ2dMhMD5qCt6BdrKJIsiP66XdtOFHAFUJJk9EZA5eEhfT5CzDrNpkmmi08g/s1600/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB4M9cQGlLRE2s9bNant2ngIKQm3psP-sI6v9O_HA5GSsJtuXuMdd6tIUBhLKW7dTr62-a_qAj0OsLNSlQ2dMhMD5qCt6BdrKJIsiP66XdtOFHAFUJJk9EZA5eEhfT5CzDrNpkmmi08g/s320/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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After 9 years of writing fiction, it feels surreal that I will have a novel in the world soon. And I guess it proves we should never give up on our dreams. (Although I came pretty close at times, I can tell you!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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As you may already know, this is extra special for me, as
all my royalties for downloads will go to Cancer Research UK in memory of my amazing sister. Cancer affects so many of us, and I do hope I can raise some money for such a good cause.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Her Last Lie</i> can be pre-ordered at 99p from Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Last-Lie-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B072TWQCCL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510565032&sr=8-1&keywords=her+last+lie&dpID=51d03SzZc2L&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch"><b>HERE</b></a> and will be published on 9<sup>th</sup> January 2018.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I'd be delighted if you popped over. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you so much to everyone who has given me so much
support. I feel so lucky to have met so many lovely people since my blogging journey began way back in 2008.</span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-64618086959438203722017-10-31T03:51:00.000-07:002017-11-12T07:04:44.163-08:00Are titles important for stories and novels? & 'Her Last Lie'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvzMO5oph04H3mzi0QDxncr5G7G-uzeQlMUCDUVWVX3LWsqoAFwIT_2DDDlpsoWN0qQVH-aggy3W1OxFqn5m5Br19w2xULkoWdqlTHlU6OxeR4MolVjuaBgR7xA4tKqddgUCEjQdWH-o/s1600/IMG_0326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvzMO5oph04H3mzi0QDxncr5G7G-uzeQlMUCDUVWVX3LWsqoAFwIT_2DDDlpsoWN0qQVH-aggy3W1OxFqn5m5Br19w2xULkoWdqlTHlU6OxeR4MolVjuaBgR7xA4tKqddgUCEjQdWH-o/s320/IMG_0326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When I started writing stories nine years ago, I
spent ages choosing my titles. The more imaginative, I believed, the better. But it didn't take me long to realise a fair few of those titles would never be used for my
published stories.</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So is the title we choose important?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Well, I think so. And I still put time into choosing them. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Just because a magazine doesn’t use a title, doesn't mean the title won't catch an editor’s eye.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">It’s the same with novels. An agent or publisher could be
tempted to read your chapters if they are attracted to your title. It really is
worth putting the time into picking a perfect title, one that tells what genre the novel is, without having to read a word.</span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">However, like short stories, novel titles may be changed too. I went to see a well-known writer do an excellent talk
locally, and she said all the titles of her books – five in all – had had
their titles changed by her publishers. So however amazing your title is – and
even if it has grabbed an agent/publisher’s eye – it’s likely it could be changed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Which brings me onto the BRAND NEW title
of my debut psychological thriller. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #444444;">It’s shiny new title is </span><i><span style="color: blue;">Her
Last Lie,</span></i><span style="color: #444444;"> which I’m delighted about. I feel
it fits the ‘psychological thriller’ market perfectly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #444444;">Her Last Lie </span></i><span style="color: #444444;">is available to
pre-order on Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Last-Lie-Amanda-Brittany-ebook/dp/B072TWQCCL/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1509445876&sr=1-1&keywords=her+last+lie">HERE </a>at 99p, with all my royalties for downloads going
to Cancer Research UK, in memory of my sister. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The cover-reveal will be happening any time soon, and I
will be popping that on here too as soon as I get it into my excited mitts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I must admit it all feels a tiny bit surreal.</span></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-16764355426466513082017-09-25T08:16:00.000-07:002017-09-25T08:34:50.213-07:00Losing a sister to cancer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuMEGtaBcUCuU6277Q2sbpjspWWC_5qHsrD_pauDXczAR2iTb1_yKz-FpfglB-JmmR67rloO_MqgDoXFPA2pl-u-Nj5KvA5i21OIwQYa-hT-UCdkx6dxqqVz6Zh-nGwog1P7IUQO-6e0/s1600/White-Feather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="538" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuMEGtaBcUCuU6277Q2sbpjspWWC_5qHsrD_pauDXczAR2iTb1_yKz-FpfglB-JmmR67rloO_MqgDoXFPA2pl-u-Nj5KvA5i21OIwQYa-hT-UCdkx6dxqqVz6Zh-nGwog1P7IUQO-6e0/s320/White-Feather.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 12pt;">My sister and I used to laugh
when we imagined ourselves as two little old ladies, putting the world to
rights. It seems impossible to think that will never be.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In </span><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">July my lovely sister died
of cancer. She was 55-years-old, and an amazing, funny, strong and beautiful
person. She was my best friend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was
terminal cancer, so we’d known for over three years that the day would come
when we would have to say goodbye. For me, most of that time was spent in denial.
I would tell her I knew what the future held; she would insist I hadn’t really
accepted it. She was right. But then I was hoping for a miracle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reality hit
with an enormous thud earlier this year. Miracles melted away. A painful
headache and a seizure found us in A & E. A scan followed, and after
several torturous hours we were told the cancer had spread to her brain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was a
50% chance that radiation would shrink the tumours and give her longer. But while
she was having the radiation, she also had her regular scan on her liver. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The results
from that scan revealed there was nothing more they could do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What followed
was an ‘end of life’ talk. That’s when my sister finally crumbled. She’d been
so, so brave throughout – but being told what to expect just before death was understandably
too much for both of us. My heart seemed to tighten when the news came. I felt
hopeless, helpless, angry, sad, desperate – there aren’t enough words to
describe the emotions I felt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I still
thought we had time. More time. Precious time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We had no idea
how soon it would be. We weren’t told. But the doctor was concerned that her
skin had started to yellow. My sister began to feel so tired, but the medical
staff thought it could be the radiation causing that. So we stayed ever hopeful
that we had longer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But it wasn’t
the radiation causing her exhaustion. Her liver was failing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She moved in
with us, and we thought we would have months together, but everything happened
so quickly. Six days later she passed away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I try to tell
myself that we shared three happy years after diagnosis. That we were lucky to
have had so many happy times together where she did all the things she loved doing.
And, of course, I have memories stretching back to when we were children. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I felt far
from lucky. I felt numb, my body ached, I didn’t know what to do with the
feelings that made me feel so helpless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d
never felt pain like it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Before she
died, she promised she would find a way of telling me she was OK. She told me
exactly where she would leave a white feather. The day after she died there was
a feather in the exact spot she said there would be one. I go from believing
she put it there, to thinking I’m being silly, crazy, daft. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because when
someone you love dies, you do question your own sanity. The whole make up of
who you are seems to shift on its axis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lately I see
white feathers absolutely everywhere. Maybe my sister is getting a bit miffed
with me for not believing, and throwing feathers in my path. I can hear her
playful voice saying ‘Here you go, have lots, if you don’t believe me.’ But it’s
more likely white feathers have always littered the grass verges, and clung to
trees, and I’m only noticing them now. But I know what I want to believe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Grief is
numbing, crippling, it made me feel ill, sick, knotted with pain. I didn’t
feel like myself at all. Nothing I have ever felt comes close to the agony
that consumed me after the loss of my sister, and life </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 12pt;">will
never be the same because there’s a huge hole where she had been by
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<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
keep hearing her upbeat voice in my head – telling me to carry on, but I have
to tell her I’m so, so sorry, but it’s far too hard right now. ‘You’ll get
there,’ she tells me. ‘You have to.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And as the
days became weeks, and now the weeks are turning into months, I try to be strong. I
do as much as I can to keep busy, as I find it helps. But it’s the triggers that
catch me and make me cry when I least expect it, like when I was in Tesco I
spotted a jacket with a soft collar I knew she would have loved. I go days
sometimes, where thoughts of her give me comfort, and then other times I can’t
stop crying. I’m not sure if I will ever get over losing my sister, but I hope,
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I debated for
a while whether to put up this blog post. It’s very personal, and was written to help me process my thoughts. But I decided to post it today, because through
the worst of the pain, I found similar posts from others comforting. My blog doesn’t get
many visitors anymore, but if just one person stumbles upon my words, and it helps them a
little, it was worth posting.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-8666070708301630502017-04-07T04:09:00.000-07:002017-09-20T23:48:51.839-07:00'The Cold' is going to be published.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyBcUMWcc2uIMAWRQRsrI5SspkfO0T4UPawteRJ-pJVEXpDnU8D2fuOiB125qiJXVNf7NYCm6_2fWyT9ixlyX4vN0PBRoq8pL2kRa3TkP7ToQxOaFAJO4p5HjoYPSLGf618gHX_OLsxw/s1600/champagne_glasses-297x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgyBcUMWcc2uIMAWRQRsrI5SspkfO0T4UPawteRJ-pJVEXpDnU8D2fuOiB125qiJXVNf7NYCm6_2fWyT9ixlyX4vN0PBRoq8pL2kRa3TkP7ToQxOaFAJO4p5HjoYPSLGf618gHX_OLsxw/s200/champagne_glasses-297x300.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some of
you may have noticed (or not :-)) that I've taken <i>The Cold</i> down from my charity-fundraising-novel-blogging-blog. Ooh, that was tongue-twister, if ever I heard one! </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The reason
– which I’m extremely excited about - is it will be published by
HarperCollins – HQ Digital, with all my royalties for digital downloads going to the cancer
charity I'm raising money for.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can’t begin to describe how thrilled I was today when the signed contract dropped
onto my doormat. It now feels so real.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks again to EVERYONE who supported my novel-blogging by donating and sharing the news, making it possible for me to raise over £400.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-46103960242418679122017-03-09T23:48:00.000-08:002017-03-10T00:29:53.256-08:00Guest Post: The Beachside Sweet Shop by Karen Clarke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqivtMwitBMSgkWC0Px1FPVR431fPZsocsLtpgZyeW1oaRsm4VTJuKD2kHiCxFIV3ebHzV6tz8ge9YTxOX29yaFW39lGi_Q9eMOossBn4bsBbiLGiFJALbgseTH3m7UU-wf7DzW1BWtFU/s1600/Karen+for+blog+post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqivtMwitBMSgkWC0Px1FPVR431fPZsocsLtpgZyeW1oaRsm4VTJuKD2kHiCxFIV3ebHzV6tz8ge9YTxOX29yaFW39lGi_Q9eMOossBn4bsBbiLGiFJALbgseTH3m7UU-wf7DzW1BWtFU/s200/Karen+for+blog+post.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSzyJGjCnn0HXl2QZl0uoSFZETJzr1KvzKDd1p2yB620Idvj9JycsBrw1vPJeuZR6JNa4xQHrjhtkehcib4NofAR6SipdfC4z9p6y9cAk6UONAD09-Si2ArhknjW227y2kjFgsP1EnlY/s1600/COVER+for+TBSS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSzyJGjCnn0HXl2QZl0uoSFZETJzr1KvzKDd1p2yB620Idvj9JycsBrw1vPJeuZR6JNa4xQHrjhtkehcib4NofAR6SipdfC4z9p6y9cAk6UONAD09-Si2ArhknjW227y2kjFgsP1EnlY/s200/COVER+for+TBSS.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="color: #333333;">I’m not only thrilled to
be inviting a brilliant writer to my blog today, but also a lovely friend.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The very talented Karen
Clarke is here to answer a few questions about her shiny new book <i>The Beachside Sweet Shop.</i> And I’ve also been
super-nosey and discovered her favourite books, sweets as a child, and other interesting
snippets.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDh3MnF9QlbOvH1ayyo0QKiSg1TydUkljO3Rb0X-KDSPb5NvvLXmncvaqM1tYtAf78N5XP9jWwmFyubxat4BhZevmzVVl5UpiOZ3j6fr9-47MCTfbn-mIel-MaWUVn7DTRTYcL7WYeNQ/s1600/rhubard+and+custard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDh3MnF9QlbOvH1ayyo0QKiSg1TydUkljO3Rb0X-KDSPb5NvvLXmncvaqM1tYtAf78N5XP9jWwmFyubxat4BhZevmzVVl5UpiOZ3j6fr9-47MCTfbn-mIel-MaWUVn7DTRTYcL7WYeNQ/s200/rhubard+and+custard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;">So without further
waffle, I’m going to open a jar of Rhubarb and Custards for us to share, and welcome
Karen to my blog.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What was the first book you read that made you cry?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can’t remember the
first, but <i>Me Before You</i> by JoJo
Moyes had me blubbering recently. I don’t like a sad ending, but accept that
sometimes it’s the only one that works.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What was the first book you read that made you laugh out loud?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and three quarters</span></i><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, by Sue Townsend, and the rest of the series was funny too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which character in <i>The
Beachside Sweet Shop</i> would you get on with best, and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Marnie’s best friend,
Beth, who as well as being supportive and fun, is grounded and sure of herself,
and knows what she wants from life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you could give your younger-writing-self advice, what would
it be?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Start now! Life was
always getting in the way, and I do wish I’d started my writing career earlier.
But maybe I wasn’t ready. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What was your favourite sweet, growing up?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I loved toffee whirls. My
gran used to bring a little sweet-shop paper bag of them whenever she visited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How did you select the names of the characters in <i>The Beachside Sweet Shop?<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If nothing springs to
mind right away, I look up names that were popular during the year my
characters were born. Sometimes see a name I like in the credits of a film or
TV programme, and I’ve been known to pluck names from Facebook </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What was your hardest scene to write in <i>The Beachside Sweet Shop?</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I struggle with sexy
scenes, imagining my mum reading them, so it would be the encounter between
Marnie and Josh in the stockroom!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is your favourite childhood book?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I loved Enid Blyton, so probably
<i>The Magic Faraway Tree</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Which character in <i>The
Beachside Sweet Shop</i> would you least get on with, and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I wouldn’t get on with
Isabel, as she thinks she’s a cut above everyone in Shipley, and isn’t
interested in getting along with her neighbours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have you ever met anyone famous, and, if so, were you in awe?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On
holiday a few years ago, we were served at a farmer’s market by Elizabeth
Hurley (she has her own brand of sausages) and I did feel a wee bit
star-struck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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***<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you so much for visiting, Karen.<br />
<br />
<i>The Beachside Sweet Shop </i>is available on Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beachside-Sweet-Shop-romantic-comedy/dp/1786810379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489130660&sr=8-1&keywords=the+beachside">HERE</a> for 99p, which is an absolute
bargain. I guarantee you’ll love it!</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-86003853695260747122017-03-03T01:36:00.001-08:002017-09-25T06:50:29.441-07:00Short Stories and Novels<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9UUbpY0OM58rH77pNqwRCHgzIri0vG2cEW1jymJe9a-3zTYXiGYW-Remy7x1QztDIy4VQYCf4mHXXFogZjkrt-yzEm_wYCttyOrjOCV2ONxFpaGvDPlsTYVRNCkvXamyA-1PK0mRitk/s1600/IMG_2380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9UUbpY0OM58rH77pNqwRCHgzIri0vG2cEW1jymJe9a-3zTYXiGYW-Remy7x1QztDIy4VQYCf4mHXXFogZjkrt-yzEm_wYCttyOrjOCV2ONxFpaGvDPlsTYVRNCkvXamyA-1PK0mRitk/s200/IMG_2380.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
I’m thrilled to bits to have a story in the latest People’s Friend Special (number 136) called ‘They Also Serve’ that I mentioned in an earlier blog post. The story means a lot to me, as it was based on my father’s time as an evacuee, so I’m delighted The Friend published it. I’ve obviously used poetic licence, but the core of the story is what happened to my father. He's almost 87 now, but he remembers that time as if it was yesterday.</div>
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I’ve also got a story in this week’s My Weekly, called ‘Winter’s End’. My inspiration for that story came from walking on the beach in winter, always something I love to do. So it does just show that inspiration for stories come from just about everywhere. Although sometimes I must admit that inspiration packs its bags and takes a holiday - I hate those times.<br />
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I've also had pick-me-up-off-the-floor EXCITING news about my novel <i>The Cold,</i> which, as you know from my endless posts on the subject, I’ve been blogging for Cancer Research. I’m not sure if I can say any more than that at the moment, so better not, but I can say the news will mean I will be able to raise so much more for Cancer Research – so YAY YAY YAY. I'll be sharing more news as soon as I can, well that's if I don't burst before that!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m still blogging my novel <a href="http://phototimebyajtimoney.blogspot.co.uk/">HERE</a> if anyone would like to read it. So far I’ve raised £381 for Cancer Research – which is unbelievably AMAZING. So thank you again to everyone who has donated or helped promote my venture or helped in any way at all - you're all fantastic!<o:p></o:p></div>
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In other exciting news (as if that wasn't enough) my lovely friend Karen Clarke’s book 1 in her Beachside series is now available to buy <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beachside-Sweet-Shop-romantic-comedy/dp/1786810379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488532814&sr=8-1&keywords=beachside+sweet+shop">HERE</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TaSNIN4Skp94FeowW6yu7vpK9bxyBQq0ItIhYoMyNyErTZFs197NnDqRUwgeiNirnd4zTMRQI6MqTGFaZLOUlFemV8IAoE32QITE51b21Ul9WZei-nvDMJKQiqdvOZuEsoK8l29huEU/s1600/karen%2527s+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TaSNIN4Skp94FeowW6yu7vpK9bxyBQq0ItIhYoMyNyErTZFs197NnDqRUwgeiNirnd4zTMRQI6MqTGFaZLOUlFemV8IAoE32QITE51b21Ul9WZei-nvDMJKQiqdvOZuEsoK8l29huEU/s200/karen%2527s+cover.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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The Beachside Sweet Shop is a feel good rom-com, that I can vouch is a wonderful read. <br />
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-18666809772575872782017-01-23T01:20:00.000-08:002017-01-23T01:20:23.528-08:00Finding your voice as a writer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ImVLMTiwiukEK6cJi8FnwOZfOhEpAYXyQZ0f5zHjDWXmkJlxtx4M8zNMm3kOXLTzSU0vwTGbBrtY_NY9_eyarP-ZHma61SoLjITxWf7FGOIyJwM-UUtvKGNGgkSStp72oMrYeeworr4/s1600/find-your-voice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ImVLMTiwiukEK6cJi8FnwOZfOhEpAYXyQZ0f5zHjDWXmkJlxtx4M8zNMm3kOXLTzSU0vwTGbBrtY_NY9_eyarP-ZHma61SoLjITxWf7FGOIyJwM-UUtvKGNGgkSStp72oMrYeeworr4/s200/find-your-voice.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I admit, this old chestnut has flummoxed me since
I began writing fiction nine years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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I was told by my super Open University tutor, that I would
need to find my voice in writing, but, even now, I don’t think I have. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe it’s partly because I write short stories for
magazines, and like to vary my style, depending on the magazine I’m writing
for. I’ve certainly developed a few voices for my short stories, four at last count.
No, that doesn’t mean I have multiple personalities. Well I don’t think it
does.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My problem with voice has extended to novels. The suspense
thriller I’m editing now has a very different voice to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phototime,</i> and in turn earlier novels I attempted had a different
voice again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe with novels, it’s because I haven’t been published.
I’m still trying to find a voice that captures the interest of the reader. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So it seems I’m still on a voice-discovering journey – even
after all this time. It’s as though ‘the voice’ (no not the TV programme) is a
bit like buried treasure I can’t find. And even if I did find it, would I
recognise it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know I need to find a
voice that makes my work unique and stand out. It needs to make the reader sit
up, mute the TV, and say ‘Hang on, this is a jolly good voice, by jove.’ And not only that;
they’ll recognise it next time. I need the voice to speak to the reader. I need
a voice that’s individual. <o:p></o:p></div>
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No pressure there then.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh, and <a href="http://towriteastory.com/5-steps-to-finding-your-writing-voice/">HERE</a>’s a blog post with five steps to finding your
writing voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">And another <a href="http://honeyquill.com/2015/03/09/knowing-your-voice-and-a-writing-prompt/">HERE</a> about knowing your voice. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYJ2n_A91mQubsMkblE5DxgGmhGI2cGw2wxo8XPOEY2BW8fDMXJPtaM0qx4ODiZ_dK7DpDlkSMNbH8uh0dfNkFmVOT8-DlvQyyJPAYJUwKiOR_0e3sJ9rf1t9pp6d76pLvLZvg1-pmew/s1600/LionWardrobe6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYJ2n_A91mQubsMkblE5DxgGmhGI2cGw2wxo8XPOEY2BW8fDMXJPtaM0qx4ODiZ_dK7DpDlkSMNbH8uh0dfNkFmVOT8-DlvQyyJPAYJUwKiOR_0e3sJ9rf1t9pp6d76pLvLZvg1-pmew/s200/LionWardrobe6.jpg" width="124" /></a>Right, I'm off to have a look in the bottom of the wardrobe. I
mean that’s got to be where C. S. Lewis found his voice, yes?</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-32863919218621242042017-01-10T07:10:00.000-08:002017-01-10T07:46:40.783-08:00Short story inspiration<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy
2017 everyone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">So, it’s
another brand new year. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">And, like many
of you, I always feel it’s a time for new beginnings. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So here
I am, AGAIN, attempting to be a good blogger, but this time I feel more
determined than ever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Oh yes, I do!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, I
haven’t written much since then end of October. The well of inspiration dried
up on me, as the ill-health of loved ones took over all my thoughts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">But I’m
determined to get those creative juices flowing again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">But how
do you do that? How do you become
inspired? What triggers a story? How,
when our heads are empty of ideas, do we create a short story?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Answers
on a postcard please.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">In the
past, I’ve found inspiration from stories based on real-life. Like a story I
have coming up in The People’s Friend that was based on an incident that
happened to my father when he was an evacuee in World War II. I took that incident, and created a fictional
world around it, but all the time imagined my dad as a cheeky little boy of nine, as the main character. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Other
times, I’ve heard someone, often a child, say something very funny, and used
that to kick-start a story.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Pictures
are great triggers. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaeI9vlz99FWmbbj7j2yuRSSbdTSAiptHHtRd6MCmKvv5nadoKolJxISyUK4s7uZb-3_S39G3iiLKlc-ncq0RJjRbbwitu2UZRDntU9x9cs8eRnMXBYzK8Mb95LiGo7JZ0R7ro9JKHnQ/s1600/friend+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaeI9vlz99FWmbbj7j2yuRSSbdTSAiptHHtRd6MCmKvv5nadoKolJxISyUK4s7uZb-3_S39G3iiLKlc-ncq0RJjRbbwitu2UZRDntU9x9cs8eRnMXBYzK8Mb95LiGo7JZ0R7ro9JKHnQ/s320/friend+picture.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This smashing illustration
by Ruth Blair was sent to me by The People’s Friend, and I was asked to write a
story to fit it. The story didn’t come
instantly, but I kept looking at the picture, and eventually it started to fall
into place. It appeared in a December 2016 issue of The Friend.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">So, the thing is, I should be able to do it again. But I’ve been struggling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Lby0WHyZfbZ_I-Od7-R5Sx58cgJi0L5izoHUou3Ahxul9re81k7qcJjqfSsWlP1WoYW5c_0mvTsVYVZQOMUKXDQmeIR6UX_1Rj0s5t3ny3Y_vCKXBD5XhvJqcNFbCte_haRX2gnqLk/s1600/img005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Lby0WHyZfbZ_I-Od7-R5Sx58cgJi0L5izoHUou3Ahxul9re81k7qcJjqfSsWlP1WoYW5c_0mvTsVYVZQOMUKXDQmeIR6UX_1Rj0s5t3ny3Y_vCKXBD5XhvJqcNFbCte_haRX2gnqLk/s320/img005.jpg" width="197" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">But
then, as I was sorting through some old postcards to scan for my local history
blog, one postcard, dated June 29<sup>th</sup>
1929, caught my attention.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was
of a local river, and I turned it over to see a message addressed to a Miss
Parrot.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL-HzUD_ezco3A6VFKsUHjVky_jfCGD7DREG8vu_D0MN7U2bByJBRZvPJo-i6EAvvhV3SYM0IQzpFkqrM9ew47vcpdjILmh5bksolFsLJEmPJh2s4Kmk1I6HsjRfQtfR1KUr_Z5CK7bY/s1600/img006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL-HzUD_ezco3A6VFKsUHjVky_jfCGD7DREG8vu_D0MN7U2bByJBRZvPJo-i6EAvvhV3SYM0IQzpFkqrM9ew47vcpdjILmh5bksolFsLJEmPJh2s4Kmk1I6HsjRfQtfR1KUr_Z5CK7bY/s320/img006.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear Poll, <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">I am having a grand time here,
hope you are the same...<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">This place is very pretty. I went here the other day. The weather is nice,
but very windy. I am writing postcards with no hat on. Simply lovely. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">With love,<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Bill Brightman.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">My mind
started whizzing. Was Poll her real
name, or a nickname because of her surname?
Was Bill a friend? Did he love
her? Did she love him? Why wasn’t she with him? Had he got dark hair? Twinkly blue eyes? Why had he sat by the river? Was he an
artist? A successful one? Who else was he sending postcards to? Did Polly Parrot wonder that too? Did they end up together, and live happily ever after, or was Bill a bit of a cad?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">So I now have my inspiration, and a story itching to be written. I just hope I can get it down.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">And I think I just need to try to remember that when that well dries up, inspiration is everywhere.</span></span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-54010153357855403662016-01-19T01:20:00.000-08:002017-01-10T07:11:08.660-08:00 PHOTOTIME, SHADOW SISTERS and SHORT STORIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKM-VvIK656Z703nWhh9sIhxbENR3vEmZkSKNOLY9Pdd8RLWLssdnJm4Ogei5Pa1js_iWdVz0nbAHoj9LU0BTh81_TQU3OmlVldYQhun5mohJQM8jt4EPojEpZ_SCrhpONkvOo8e60Bg/s1600/picture+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKM-VvIK656Z703nWhh9sIhxbENR3vEmZkSKNOLY9Pdd8RLWLssdnJm4Ogei5Pa1js_iWdVz0nbAHoj9LU0BTh81_TQU3OmlVldYQhun5mohJQM8jt4EPojEpZ_SCrhpONkvOo8e60Bg/s200/picture+for+blog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So it’s 2016, and I only posted once on my blog in
2015.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m not going to say I’m an awful
blogger – because you already know that.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But all that is about to change! Yes, I know, I’ve said that before too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But this time, it’s different. I have a plan. Oh, yes!
And I’ve convinced myself that if I brag here that about it, I will
stick to it. That's the theory anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The said plan is to blog regularly about what I’ve learned
about being a writer over the last six years: the ups and the downs of writing
for women’s magazines, editing tips and things that have really helped me along
the way to improve my writing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope to interview writers too. So if you fancy chatting
with me here, and having a cup of cyber-tea, do whiz over an email at amandabrittany@aol.com and I’ll send you some questions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope to share wee reviews on books I’ve loved too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And I’ll be sharing my writing journey going forward - which
is exactly why I set the blog up in 2009.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And talking of my writing journey, I’m still writing
short stories, and loving it! One of the highlights of 2015 was seeing my murder mystery serial published in The People’s Friend. The artwork was amazing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also, I’ve recently completed two novels, cor blimey! The first with the very lovely <a href="http://writewritingwritten.blogspot.co.uk/">Karen Clarke</a> under
the pen name Clare Ryan! A psychological
thriller called <i>Shadow Sisters</i>. The second, <i>Phototime
-</i> a new-adult novel – which is called this rather trendy genre name because the
main character is 23.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We have everything crossed for both novels, obviously, and the
rather mysterious Clare Ryan is already cracking on with her next thriller. More news on both novels to follow... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wishing you all a happy, healthy and successful 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Amanda X</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-65737137318113686522014-06-11T04:32:00.000-07:002014-06-11T04:34:55.794-07:00Love is all you need<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcITvJ5KsDZ_wDbnlo5I4BiBtVFqhkRUMs-FQOItK0r9gbkO3bkAoNBgjhPtjIgu4KmxG14AIX7isqHJYYQAwVw2qEU8SFBOHETi_LzIMTBhr8mI0mTnNeYhpj5ssF4iV1z2zet-prgc/s1600/Love+is+All+You+Need+cover+artwork+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcITvJ5KsDZ_wDbnlo5I4BiBtVFqhkRUMs-FQOItK0r9gbkO3bkAoNBgjhPtjIgu4KmxG14AIX7isqHJYYQAwVw2qEU8SFBOHETi_LzIMTBhr8mI0mTnNeYhpj5ssF4iV1z2zet-prgc/s1600/Love+is+All+You+Need+cover+artwork+final.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m delighted to bring you news of a brilliant new anthology <i>Love
is all you need.</i> A compilation of 10 great stories with heart – the
winning tales of love from </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Sophie King
Prize 2014, chosen by bestselling author Sophie King. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"I picked those that surprised me and also left a lovely warm
feeling. A bit like a love affair, really …" Sophie King </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Love is all you need </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">is available to download on Amazon <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-All-You-Need-Sophie-ebook/dp/B00KQ04BVS/">HERE</a></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The very lovely Sherri Turner’s story ‘Funny Face’
was one of the winners. It is a light-hearted, humorous story that also looks
at how we see ourselves compared with how others see us.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sherri was brought up in Cornwall and now lives in Surrey with her
husband. She has had numerous short stories published in women’s magazines in
the UK and abroad (under the pseudonym Bernadette James) and has won or been
shortlisted in competitions for both poetry and short stories, including the
Bristol Prize, the Writer’s Bureau competition and the New Writer Prize. Her
stories have also appeared in a number of anthologies. If you would
like to know more about Sherri, you can read her interview with the equally
lovely Helen M Hunt <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://fictionisstrangerthanfact.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/love-is-all-you-need.html">HERE</a></u></span>. Do pop over and say hello.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I can’t wait to read Sherri's story and those of Alyson Hilbourne,
Yvonne Eve Walus, Johanna Grassick, Pauline Watson, Melanie Whipman, Linda
Triegel, Laurel Osterkamp, Helen Yendall, Mary Lally. Their stories in
turn hold the promise of romance, reflect on finding love, or show the lengths
we'll go to for the special person in our lives.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-59783221063655239412014-04-03T04:10:00.002-07:002014-04-03T05:28:41.326-07:00In the Kitchen with a Knife by Susan Wright.<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, hello there!
Long time no blog post! Yes, yet again I’ve been a dreadful
blogger. In fact, I think I might be a
tortoise, as I tend to hibernated during the winter months – when my
cyber-socializing grinds to practically a stop – and then I’m on go-slow for
the rest of the year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But all that’s going to change – and what better way to
start by announcing the launch of a lovely writer friend’s debut novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Susan Wright has sold over a hundred short stories, and
today, </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the Kitchen with a Knife</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">-</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">such
a brilliant title – goes on sale.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Her
book can be downloaded on Kindle <a href="http://alfiedog.com/products-page/commercial/in-the-kitchen-with-a-knife-susan-wright-85000-words-crime-commercial/">HERE</a> at Alfie Dog or <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-With-Knife-Susan-Wright-ebook/dp/B00JF9HH5I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1396508884&sr=1-1&keywords=in+the+kitchen+with+a+knife">HERE</a> on Amazon. Or
the paperback is available to buy from the same outlets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Susan is chatting today with the lovely, Suzanne Jones on
her blog <a href="http://suzanne-sj.blogspot.co.uk/">HERE</a>. So do whiz over and say
Hi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As for me, well I still haven’t YET plucked up the courage to do anything exciting with my novel – so we’ll quickly skip past that subject. But I did sell my 65<sup>th</sup> short story
this week – which I’m delighted about. It never ceases to thrill when I receive an email from a lovely editor who wants to buy one of my stories - and, yes, I do still dance around the room and squeal a lot - making my dogs bark!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Right, I think that's about all I've got to say for myself - not a lot after almost four months. But maybe when I get this novel of mine self-published... </span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-60639199757235089272013-12-30T01:14:00.000-08:002013-12-30T06:22:25.744-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR & BLOG CHAIN THINGY<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://wendyswritingnow.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">Wendy Clarke</span></a> has very kindly included me –
linked me, if you will – to the blog chain thingy - and here are the questions
that I have to answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: blue;">What am I currently working on?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">I confess to pausing from writing for three whole days over Christmas, but
I’m now writing a summer story. There’s nothing like planning ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: blue;">How does my work differ from others in its genre?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">At the moment, I don’t think I write in a specific genre. Well I
certainly don’t for short stories. That’s why I absolutely love
writing for women’s magazine. It’s an opportunity to explore so many
genres – and have such fun doing so. I’ve sold ghost
stories, love stories, twist in the tales, the odd murder mystery– and I even
sold a science fiction story to one magazine. Although,
obviously the magazines have different requirements:- The People’s Friend, for
example, wouldn’t accept a ghost a story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Novel-wise, genre is my fall down. I’m the first to admit
that I’ve jumbled genres in my novels - and I’m sure it puts agents/publishers
off as they can't successfully market it. In 2014 I hope to put
this right!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Why do I write what I do?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">See above </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: blue;">How does my writing process work?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Sometimes I’m VERY lucky, and a story will come to me almost fully
formed – and oddly, they seem to be the ones that sell quickly. Other
times, a story will need a thousand re-writes – and I often feel like throwing
my pens out of the pram - but I’m lucky to have a wonderfully supportive writer
friend who always picks up my metaphoric pens for me – and I’m also
part of a super critiquing group. I would definitely recommend both.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">I tend to set myself goals and deadlines - a chapter a week – a story a
fortnight, that kind of thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">The lovely person who will be the next link in the blog chain thingy is<a href="http://writewritingwritten.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: blue;"> Karen
Clarke </span></a>who will be posting their answers to these questions on
6<sup>th</sup> January. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Karen Clarke has had over 200 short stories sold to magazines. Her novel
<i>My Future Husband</i> was published by Random House/Goldmann in Germany and <i>Put a
Spell on You</i> will be published by Constable & Robinson in 2014 as part of a
3 book deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Finally I would like to wish you all a VERY happy and healthy
2014! (When I will be blogging much more often – obviously)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-2801322769805868662013-10-28T03:55:00.000-07:002013-10-28T06:56:06.462-07:00The Poetry Bus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Today I’m thrilled to welcome the extremely talented poet, Peadar
O’Donoghue from ‘The Poetry Bus Magazine’ (PB Mag) to Writing Allsorts.
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">If you write poetry or <i>very</i> short stories, and would
like the opportunity to see your work in print, then carry on reading.
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Alternatively, if you enjoy reading poetry, or you are simply fascinated to learn how a humble blog has transformed into a successful poetry magazine that
showcases brilliant poets – then you’ll love Peadar’s inspiring
interview!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">So, without further ado, hello, Peadar! Welcome to Writing Allsorts, and
thanks so much for coming all the way from Ireland for a chat. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.5pt;">J</span></b><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"> Let’s kick off
with how, when and why did The Poetry Bus Magazine come about?<br />
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Hello Amanda, a million thanks for inviting us onto your blog! The Poetry Bus,
or PB Mag, started as a weekly prompt on my blog totalfeckineejit. It was to
brighten up Monday, the worst day of the week, and to see if there was anything
in the Zeitgeist. The prompt might be a song or a photo and a handful of people
across the world would sit down at roughly the same time and respond to it with
a poem. It felt like we were all going on a little journey each week and we
were all types of people, young old, male female, different nationalities, it
felt like a bus trip, hence the name! The numbers taking part grew and the
quality of the poems was surprisingly good considering we were all pretty much
unpublished poets. It was very unifying and uplifting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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We all found that there was a dearth of magazines to send our stuff to and we
were mostly rejected. I realized that some of these poets deserved to be
published and so the idea of a new, more open mag was born.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Sounds absolutely brilliant! I understand The PB Mag is a magazine
by the people for the people, to share and expose talent.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">That’s it in a nutshell, Mandy, a mag of the people, by the people, for
the people. It’s taken from The Gettysberg address by Abraham Lincoln,
obviously he said government, not poetry magazine, but it is a wonderful line
and is one of the very few things, perhaps the only thing that I connected with
at school and remembered. I firmly believe that poetry, the arts, should be for
everyone to enjoy and also to participate in, to have a go, if they have talent
it will show, and that should be the only criteria for success. You’d think
that would be an obvious statement (as Lincoln’s) and welcomed by everybody and
ostensibly it probably is, but the reality is far different. Elitism rules, and
elitism is the death of creativity. Factions and cliques try (successfully in
the main) to keep the arts to themselves, aided and abetted by the narrow
distribution of grants and bursaries. There’s a lot of new establishment people
in poetry complaining about the dark, who go around switching off the lights.
It’s very galling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Please tell us a bit about The Poetry Bus editors<br /><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">I, me, Peadar am a poet and photographer. I’m not young and I’m a little
bit fat, I drink too much and love my life now, at last. I live and work in a
real but imaginary shed in County Wicklow with Collette and a team of goats. I
have no Master’s degree in creative writing or Goat herding, in fact I left
school early and did a thousand soul destroying jobs and lived a life and this
(in my opinion and contrary to perceived wisdom) actually puts me in a very
good position to write and run a magazine with a herd of goats. My debut
collection <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/bookshop-search.php"><span style="color: blue;">‘Jewel’</span></a> is the best-selling title on the <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Salmon Poetry
website</span></a>. I say that not to show off but to make a
statement, to fight back. They can say a million flies like shite, but I don’t
care. It received excellent reviews in Ambit, The North, Revival, CanCan,
online at Anna Livia Review.<br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Collette has a very keen interest in Art, studied it (I forgive her) and
has (in my opinion) a very good eye for it. She came aboard recently to help as
the mag is too much for one person now and also to add a gender balance. She
selects the artwork and helps with selection of the poems. I think the latest
issue PB5, has benefitted hugely from her input. And when things go wrong it’s
nice to have someone to share the blame with.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Please tell us a bit about some of your more successful poets and
contributors. And, just as a little family plug - I understand my
talented cousin, <a href="http://frankscolourblindworkshop.weebly.com/"><span style="color: blue;">David Timoney</span></a> is in PB5 – just thought I’d
say – not that I’m bias or anything.</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><br />
<br />
Ha Ha, yes, we are delighted with David’s graphic short story it is beautifully
crafted and a new feature of the mag that is getting great feedback. We have
had many great poets/writers including <a href="http://www.roddydoyle.ie/?page_id=5"><span style="color: blue;">Roddy Doyle</span></a> who
will make it someday soon, Ian Duhig, Lemn Sissay and <a href="http://www.georgeszirtes.co.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">George Szirtes</span></a> who
has just been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. I like to think we play a
part in discovering/promoting new poets like PC Vandall, Sorcha Ní Mhealláin,
Séamas Carraher, Korliss Sewer and many more. We always have a high number of
first time poets and are particularly pleased with that. Occasionally we will
get a poem from someone who hasn’t been published before and may never be
published again, being involved in their one brief shining moment is perhaps
the most special feeling of all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">What is the submission process? </span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">I read submissions blind now, which is fairer on everyone, particularly
people I may be friendly with. Previously acquaintances would be included
despite our ‘friendship’, rather than because of it. There is nothing worse for
me than seeing a group of friends of the editor in a magazine, it goes on
brazen and blatant as you like. I think it may actually be expected, as I have
lost a few friends through rejecting their work. I HATE doing rejections, it is
the most awful part of an otherwise totally positive experience in publishing a
magazine. I get rejections myself, so I know well how it feels!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">We have been taking submissions on a rolling basis, but have decided to
introduce deadlines, right here, right now! The next issue is to be called PB$
and will be a money themed special issue. There are no rigid guidelines and
riffing on the theme is most welcome. Poems on other topics may also be
accepted. The closing date is Dec 31<sup>st</sup>. All submissions will be
acknowledged on receipt and all submissions will get an answer within one week
of the deadline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Details of how to sub can be found on <a href="http://thepoetrybusmag.wix.com/change"><span style="color: blue;">The
Poetry Bus Website</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">What is the next step if our poem is accepted?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">If your poem is accepted we will ask for a recording as there is an
audio CD with each issue. A final selection of 10 from all the recordings (plus
2 music tracks) make the CD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">So what's a</span></b><b><span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> Grimoire<br /><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c1c1c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A Grimoire is a fancy title for a chapbook (literally a cheap book) A
Grimoire is a book of spells or magic, and nothing is more magical than poetry.
We just wanted to produce the best we could for poets. The very first ‘The
Geometry of Love between the Elements’ is by Fiona Bolger and has sold 400
copies. We couldn’t be happier. More Grimoires are in the pipeline and will be
very different!</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">How many Poetry Bus Magazines have there been and how can we get our
mitts on them?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">PB5 has just been launched and can be bought <a href="http://thepoetrybusmag.wix.com/change"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a> Please
do, it is our finest issue yet! There are a few copies of PB4 left and all
other issues have sold out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">How many poets have appeared in the PBMag?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">LOADS! At least 300!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">I was reading on your old blog, that you have to raise money to be able
to publish the magazine. So I see (as a layman) that the magazine is
published to showcase talent, and although there is no payment to the writer, the prestige and exposure is very rewarding. Does that sound about
right?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><br />
Well, yes, we hope that people are pleased, and we make every effort for it to
be a top class showcase that’s good to be seen in, but we really want to pay
the contributors. Until we get proper funding that remains a dream. It’s pretty
much the only reason now, that we apply for funding anywhere else but fundit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Other than poetry, what else appears in The Poetry Bus Magazine?<br /><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Full colour illustrations, graphic short stories, articles like ‘My
Writing Life’ flash fiction, (very) short stories, reviews and an audio CD of
poems and two music tracks.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Is there anything else that you could tell me about The Poetry Bus?<br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">It’s wonderful!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">And finally, would you share with us one of your poems?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">OK, Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Buckfast breakfast By Peadar O’Donoghue</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">And I or he,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">noises outside or inside the walls,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">shuffled in shoes or bare feet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">sanding the lino.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Litter on the table,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">sweep it to the floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Freezing footsteps in the snow,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Christmas Eve,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">the jewelled prize<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">a black box.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Your brother shot someone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">that slept with his wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Money makes the man and the machine, work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Coins.Trap doors, pulleys, dumb waiters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">This is about poverty,this is about revolution,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">this is the inside of your head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Things roll like stones, crackle on the floor,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Knives, forks, tools.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">There’s a queue for hell civilised as you like,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Pause, action, rewind, stop, go<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">put the chain around your neck,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">the instructions make no sense<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">with, or without glasses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Clay in their hands,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">the thin line walked,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">the floor is cold and dirty,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">it’s your turn, in you go,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">the rats are waiting,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">catch their tales,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">tie them up in knots<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">over and again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">Fantastic! Thank you so much, Peadar. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">And finally, I'm dead chuffed that a couple of months back, one of
my poems was accepted for a future issue of this great magazine. I feel
honoured and delighted to be part of the The Poetry Bus journey - and wish it every success going forward.</span></i></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-75467403785252291152013-10-09T00:11:00.001-07:002013-10-28T06:55:49.087-07:00From Short Story Writer to Novelist - An Interview with Della Galton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbF9OCrN4zN4yYeySlw8MfXexCcb99wbZ1dChvh_YtPsbb2BKEYZooOuwP8ABEtfdPUMZmnPruKe8FSj7AJA0xxT8MFNxGRaSoT_3G_poFICOU9PavFTCeDDZ6xaqfYBTiWO2NJ4mc4Q/s1600/Della+in+woods.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbF9OCrN4zN4yYeySlw8MfXexCcb99wbZ1dChvh_YtPsbb2BKEYZooOuwP8ABEtfdPUMZmnPruKe8FSj7AJA0xxT8MFNxGRaSoT_3G_poFICOU9PavFTCeDDZ6xaqfYBTiWO2NJ4mc4Q/s1600/Della+in+woods.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
so I’ve come to the end of my series, ‘From Short Story Writer to Novelist’. I've had a huge amount of fun doing it and, as someone who is constantly hopeful of making that transition, learnt so much. So thank you again to the lovely writers who have taken part: <a href="http://writingallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/from-short-story-writer-to-novelist.html">Cally Taylor,</a> <a href="http://writingallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/from-short-story-writer-to-novelist_11.html">Patsy Collins</a>, <a href="http://writingallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/oh-im-having-fabulous-time-interviewing.html">Jill Steeples</a>, <a href="http://writingallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/from-short-story-writer-to-novelist_26.html">Sarah England</a> and <a href="http://writingallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/from-short-story-writer-to-novelist.html">Karen Clarke</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And
who better to end the series with than prolific short story
writer, novelist and author of </span><i style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moving-On-Secrets-Success-ebook/dp/B007KLZMDW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381301790&sr=8-1&keywords=della+galton+moving+on">Moving On –From Short Story to Novel a step by step guide.</a>, </i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">the extremely talented, Della Galton.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As usual, I won’t twitter on, as I know you’ll want to hear what lovely, Della has to
say. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome, Della, thank you so
much for visiting. Please make yourself at home, and begin by telling us a bit about your success as a short story
writer. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve sold over a thousand short stories to mags
since the year 2000. That’s when I started keeping proper records, but I had my
first short story published in 1987 (Gosh, am I really that old!). And I was
instantly hooked. I wanted to feel that thrill of being published again. Since
then (not a lot of people know this) I have permanently had one or more stories
out under consideration to magazines. I currently have about thirty. When there
were lots of markets I’d have about sixty :o)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And
your journey from short story to novel. If you wish, you could include things
like:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I began my writing career with
short stories, as many writers do. (I joined an Adult Education evening class
called Writing for Pleasure and Profit) I remember being told by my tutor at
the time that short stories were a good place to start. I could learn the
skills and techniques of creative writing, and, if ever I wanted to write
something longer, having a background of short story writing would stand me in
good stead. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
think she was right. It’s as true today as it ever was that whatever writing
you do, whether it’s writing letters, non-fiction, a blog, or even writing a
personal diary, the act of putting words on paper will help you to hone and
develop your skills. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> However,
writing a novel was not just about, as I had once thought, producing more
words! Although that is, of course, one of the things you have to do. There are
several other differences.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pace was
the thing I found hardest to get right when I began to write longer fiction.
And development, although I had no idea what that meant (in real terms) when I
wrote my first novel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all know you don’t need an agent for short
stories, but I think it helps for a novel. I met my current agent, Becky
Bagnell at a writers’ conference. I spoke to her first and she encouraged me to
send her three chapters and a synopsis of my latest novel, which was Ice and a
Slice. And she loved it. It was such a joy working on it with Becky. Nothing is
better than having an agent who really loves your work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please tell us a bit about your novel, Ice and a Slice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqiQ7Z1P1DsUpIDW-bXnHSZHoNUguhXjVmR4vsluF5sgv1DBCugyfhPLL_EEsMncozgr3QgDHiHjh-bEdUif03s2-CpqB12FhOkGKNDpxZyk1T8dG8v8s62R81H0fmuh5uFktKn8HDbs/s1600/cover+with+drop+shadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqiQ7Z1P1DsUpIDW-bXnHSZHoNUguhXjVmR4vsluF5sgv1DBCugyfhPLL_EEsMncozgr3QgDHiHjh-bEdUif03s2-CpqB12FhOkGKNDpxZyk1T8dG8v8s62R81H0fmuh5uFktKn8HDbs/s1600/cover+with+drop+shadow.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ice and a Slice is the story of Sarah-Jane, (SJ to
her friends) who discovers she can’t stop drinking. On the surface her life is fine. She is
happily married to Tom (well at least she thinks she is –he works away so much
she doesn’t often see him). She’s also
fallen out with her sister and they no longer speak. But SJ is determined to
sort that out one day. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At
least her best friend, Tania, is on her side, although lately Tania is
increasingly preoccupied with her own (secret) problems. SJ feels very alone sometimes and quite
scared, but it’s not as though she’s an alcoholic, is it? She doesn’t keep a
bottle of vodka by her bed. She doesn’t even drink every day – well not till
the evening anyway. It isn’t until she
seeks the help of Kit, the hunky guy at the addiction centre, that she realises
things may have got a little more out of hand than she thinks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SJ is by far the most three dimensional character
I’ve ever created. I fell in love with her from the very first chapter. Mostly I think because she is so flawed and
so human. And yes, she is based on
someone I’m close to – although I’m not telling you who. But one of the reasons that I love this
novel so much – and I don’t say that
lightly, I’m the biggest self critic around – is because it’s the one in which
I think I found my true voice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ice and a Slice is available on Amazon both in paperback, click<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-and-a-Slice-ebook/dp/B00BSA3JHW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381300983&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=della+galton+helter"> </a><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-Slice-Della-Galton/dp/1484978080/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1380954962&sr=8-1&keywords=della+galton">here</a>, and for kindle (£1.94), click <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ice-and-a-Slice-ebook/dp/B00BSA3JHW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381300983&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=della+galton+helter">here.</a>
Actually if you’re quick you can get the paperback free as Take a Break are
doing a reader giveaway in this month’s Fiction Feast. Just write in to them by
14 November for a chance to get a free signed copy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Have
you always wanted to write a novel, or was there a time when you thought you
would only write short stories?</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d only been writing for about a year when I wrote
my first novel. I think I may have a paper copy hidden in the attic – which is
probably the best place for it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
you still write short stories. (This is a bit of silly question!)</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> And how do you juggle stories and
novels? <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes I do. I love them. And I tend to write my novels around my short
stories rather than the other way round. It’s the short stories that are the
day job so the novels have to be slotted into my ‘spare’ time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have
you any advice to a short story writer who may want to move on to writing
novels?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I have to say I wished there was a book about
this subject when I wrote my first novel. Which is exactly why I later decided
to write one. Moving on, Short Story to Novel is published by Accent Press. You
can buy it<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moving-On-Secrets-Success-ebook/dp/B007KLZMDW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381301790&sr=8-1&keywords=della+galton+moving+on"> here</a> for kindle (£1.54). It’s also available in paperback. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It just so happens that in the next few days I have
a brand new book coming out which is also on the subject of making the
transition between short stories and novels. The Novel Writer’s Toolshed (for
Short Story Writers) will be available in paperback and for kindle. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What
do you feel is the main difference between writing a short story and a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve written two whole books about this (getting in
another cheeky plug) But – if I had to
put it in a nutshell, it’s one word – development. Both of my books explain in
detail exactly what development means.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have
you ever written a short story that you think would work well as a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes. Helter Skelter, my second novel, began as a
1000 word short story. Then it became a 90,000 word novel. I also sold the
short story to Take a Break. I called it the Colour of Chiffon. I think they
kept the title.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What
do you think are the pros and cons of moving from a short story to a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you write a novel you can get totally involved
with the characters – it’s inevitable because you live with them for days. You
grow to love them, hate them, whatever, but you really really care about them.
I love this part of writing a novel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the cons of writing a novel, of course,
though is that you can’t finish it in a day – so completion is a long way off.
I love the feeling of completion you get when you finish a short story too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
you have an agent or publisher, do you think being a successful short story
writer helped get you noticed?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it helped me to get my first novel accepted
without a doubt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do
you think being a published short story gave you the confidence to take the
next step?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Absolutely, definitely, yes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do
you think self-promotion is an important part of being a novelist? If so, what are your thoughts on
self-promotion?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I think it’s vital, these days, to promote
yourself. But the good news is that it’s
easier than it’s ever been, thanks to social media. In a way it levels the
playing field (sorry for the cliché) because everyone can do this. It’s a lot
easier than travelling around to do book signings too. I remember when I sold
my first novel my (Welsh) publisher arranged for me to do five signings at WH
Smiths around Wales. There was no sat nav in those days and I got incredibly
stressed trying to find all the book stores in different towns. (Good fodder
for a short story though!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.dellagalton.co.uk/"><br />
www.dellagalton.co.uk</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DellaGalton" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2862c5; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Follow me on
Twitter</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/dailydella" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2862c5; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Friend me on Facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-187009666982100762013-10-02T23:50:00.000-07:002013-10-02T23:52:29.236-07:00From Short Story Writer to Novelist – An Interview with Karen Clarke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOVDYbMSFLiY60vSKenFs-CLQM1TvQH9TpEexwlXgU_3CohlAGPyzOeFZ53v3dNFrZRSnY1PeMOX5q9mVNTXBxLTv_kfRXmLtCbeZ7a8d7l-vGgsrw1UgShRksEkP-g5DMMsjUj1dqHY/s1600/karen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOVDYbMSFLiY60vSKenFs-CLQM1TvQH9TpEexwlXgU_3CohlAGPyzOeFZ53v3dNFrZRSnY1PeMOX5q9mVNTXBxLTv_kfRXmLtCbeZ7a8d7l-vGgsrw1UgShRksEkP-g5DMMsjUj1dqHY/s1600/karen.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m especially chuffed today to be sharing a wee chinwag with the very lovely and talented, Karen Clarke.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">She’s just taking off her coat – it’s jolly cold,
isn’t it? And I know she must be buzzing
with excitement, as she’s just had some VERY exciting news about her novels! But I’ll let her tell you about that, and a
bit about her journey from short story writer to novelist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">So without further waffle: W</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">elcome to Writing Allsorts, Karen, thank you for coming. Please tell us about your success as a short story writer.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">After a few years of dabbling, I started seriously writing short
stories about five years ago, after joining an online critique group, which
gave me the confidence to submit to women’s magazines – I realised I wasn’t as
bad as I’d feared! Since then I’ve sold
around 200 stories in the UK and abroad<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">And
your journey from short story to novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d always wanted to write a novel, and already had one languishing
in a drawer that had been through the New Writer’s Scheme with The Romantic
Novelist’s Association, and garnered some positive feedback from agents, that I
knew I had to give up on. I decided to start something new – alongside writing
short stories - and after a few false starts felt I’d found my niche with a
time-travel romantic comedy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I got lucky and attracted an agent based on the first three
chapters, and when I’d finished writing the book it went to auction in Germany,
and sold to Random House as part of a two-book deal. Although it came close
with a big publisher in the UK, it didn’t happen for various reasons, so my
agent took the decision to publish it under her digital imprint, The Paris
Press, and it’s had a great reaction so far.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve since written two more novels - one I like to call ‘romagical’
and another about being possessed (!) – and the great news is I was made a
wonderful offer by publishers Constable & Robinson last week, and now have
a 3-book deal. It still hasn’t quite
sunk in!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s
FANTASTIC news, Karen – and so well deserved! I know your first novel, <i>My Future Husband </i>is available to download on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Future-Husband-ebook/dp/B00AKOIRJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380782783&sr=8-1&keywords=karen+clarke">HERE</a>. Please tell us a bit about it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReu7Fk4OB0Ue19GrRbbAfOdLhyns8rY24pLHBCZPOxMl3GnsTIZhRjI-KeiLEpPCdoQmEOOxy6Uyi7pxLoujODCmmLioMcTYR1I3muuAy6cRj1x1D7lZmKo3uuEiizk2i4MyFVzjsUbI/s1600/my+future+husband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReu7Fk4OB0Ue19GrRbbAfOdLhyns8rY24pLHBCZPOxMl3GnsTIZhRjI-KeiLEpPCdoQmEOOxy6Uyi7pxLoujODCmmLioMcTYR1I3muuAy6cRj1x1D7lZmKo3uuEiizk2i4MyFVzjsUbI/s200/my+future+husband.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>My Future Husband</i> is about Sasha, who’s very
methodical and has planned her wedding to Pete to the very last detail. However,
a month beforehand a man called Elliot appears in her bedroom claiming to be
from the future, and tells her to call of her wedding because she’s supposed to
marry him. Sasha doesn’t want to believe
it, but spurred on by her best friend, Rosie, she tracks him down in the
present and starts to realise he might have been telling the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Have
you always wanted to write a novel, or was there a time when you thought you
would only write short stories?</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ve always wanted to write a novel, but thought it might be easier
to start with short stories and ease myself in gently!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
you still write short stories, and if so how do you juggle both?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I definitely still write short stories, at least one a week,
usually on a Monday, and the rest of the week I work hard on my novel. Oh, who am I kidding? The reality is, I’ve written three short
stories since last week, and have barely glanced at my novel (but don’t tell my
agent!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Which
do you prefer to write, novels or short stories?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m greedy and love writing novels and short stories, and can’t
imagine not doing both. At the moment,
I’m on a short story roll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Have
you any advice to a short story writer who may want to move on to writing
novels?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I would say, ‘go for it!’ in a bossy voice. Writing a novel’s a very different beast and
you may find you’re not cut out for it, but you won’t know unless you try. I don’t think it follows that every short
story writer will find it easy to write a novel - or vice-versa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">What
do you feel is the main difference between writing a short story and a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I suppose time-scale is the biggest one. You may be able to bash out a first draft in
a month or three, but revising, rewriting, editing, rewriting and, er,
rewriting a novel can take about a year, if not longer. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Which
do you find easier to write, a novel or a short story?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I find short stories easier to write in that they can be wrapped up
in an hour or two, but when I’m properly into my novel, and the words are
flowing, it’s easier in the sense that I have space and time to develop the
plot and characters, so it doesn’t have to be quite so tightly-knit.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Have
you ever written a short story that you think would work well as a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Occasionally, when a story has started to meander, I’ve wondered if
it might be worth developing into a novel, but I’ve never actually gone back
and done that… yet!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">What
do you think are the pros and cons of moving from a short story to a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">The pros are having more time to develop your characters and story,
which feels luxurious after the discipline of packaging everything into a
thousand words or so. The cons are,
without that fairly small frame-work it’s easy to get lost, or run out of
steam, or fall into great big plot-holes.
Not that it’s ever happened to me.
Ahem…</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you have an agent or publisher, do you think being a successful short story
writer helped get you noticed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I think it helped show her I have a strong commitment to writing,
and she did once say she could tell I was a short-story writer, because my
novels are very ‘plotty’. I THINK it was
a compliment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
you think being a published short story gave you the confidence to take the
next step?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">It definitely helped me believe I could write something worth
publishing, and that if I could do it with stories maybe I could eventually
trick someone into publishing my novels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Do
you think self-promotion is an important part of being a novelist? If so, what are your thoughts on
self-promotion?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Self-promotion plays a huge part these days, especially for new
authors, and in e-publishing where it’s harder to be noticed if your books
aren’t on a bookshelf for readers to browse.
If you’re JK Rowling then probably, no.
It’s not something I’m massively comfortable with, to be honest, it’s
too much like showing off and I’m British - I’m not good at shouting ‘Look at
me!’ But I’m guessing I’m going to have
to change my ways…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%;">My blog is <a href="http://www.writewritingwritten.blogspot.com/">www.writewritingwritten.blogspot.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-61546988561500246592013-09-23T01:23:00.001-07:002013-09-23T02:54:49.842-07:00A Stitch in Time – The Suffolk Coast<div class="MsoNormal">
My head had been spinning a fair bit of late - what with one thing and another. We all have those moments, don't we? When life can be a bit difficult and you just want to run and hide. No? Just me then!?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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So what to do about it? </div>
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Well, as my mother always said, ‘A stitch in time is worth its weight in
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So...I’ve been busily repairing the torn fabric of my psyche in Suffolk. A place that is fast becoming my wee sewing box.</div>
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We stayed in Aldeburgh at <a href="http://www.whitelion.co.uk/">The White Lion Hotel,</a> which has an almost bygone-year feel about it (although with all
mod-cons and a super chef) In fact, I indulged in parsnip
and apple soup for the first time ever, and found it to be delicious. Aldeburgh has some gorgeous, quaint little shops, and people come from miles away for their fish and chips - which I can vouch are superb! Aldeburgh, apart from said fish an chips, is probably best known for its links with its famous resident: composer Benjamin Britten.</div>
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We trundled to Southwold – which is well known for
its multi-coloured beech huts and smashing pier, and then on to Snape Maltings - a tourist centre with shops and walks along
the River Adle. Beautiful! An interesting piece of trivia
is that J K Rowling named her character Snape after the village.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We also took some wonderful walks across Dunwich Heath in
Saxmundham. The peace and quiet was truly breathtaking.</div>
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So all in all I’ve come back refreshed. My head now clear. </div>
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I'd highly recommend it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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***</div>
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Writerly-wise, I'm<b> hoping</b> to get back on track! And I'm certain Wendy Clarke's excellent date of birth calculator V2 will help. It's SO clever and can be downloaded <a href="http://wendyswritingnow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/wendys-story-timeline-version-2-with.html">HERE</a></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-61311231716763151012013-09-18T08:02:00.000-07:002013-09-18T09:25:17.462-07:00From Short Story Writer to Novelist - An Interview with Jill Steeples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWZRlNcu_txItH8xg-J6zUaM_qa5pAK8jmWSF2TN_fOsJtvK70pYZRYd3MhfTcZKy1JMCt9QFQimW6hABLh8OeNkY8Nv33CI5fn4eoeN_lbRtoSyX3ggNddxPae-FjT4YQ9u6kTCz9t4/s1600/jill+steeples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWZRlNcu_txItH8xg-J6zUaM_qa5pAK8jmWSF2TN_fOsJtvK70pYZRYd3MhfTcZKy1JMCt9QFQimW6hABLh8OeNkY8Nv33CI5fn4eoeN_lbRtoSyX3ggNddxPae-FjT4YQ9u6kTCz9t4/s200/jill+steeples.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Oh, I’m having a fabulous time interviewing so many talented
writers about their leap from writing short stories to writing novels. I
do hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">This week I’m thrilled to welcome the lovely, Jill Steeples to ‘Writing Allsorts’. I can’t wait to hear what she has to say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">So without giving her time to gather her thoughts (I'm wicked like that!) - on with the </span><span style="font-size: 17px;"><strike>interrogation</strike> interview.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Hi, Jill! Welcome to 'Writing Allsorts'. Please could you tell us a bit about your success as a short story writer.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">One of the very first short stories I wrote I sold to Fiction Feast and
I thought this is easy. (Insert maniacal laughter here!) It then
took me another year to sell another one! I think I sold four
stories in my second year and ten in my third, so I was hardly an overnight
success, but then I started to sell on a more regular basis. My
stories have appeared in magazines in the UK, Australia and Scandinavia, and in
several short story anthologies.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Please could you share with us a little about your journey from short story writer to novelist.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Desperately Seeking
Heaven was a top 20 finalist in Novelicious’s Undiscovered competition, under
its previous title of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, but I put the manuscript to
one side because I’d had a bit of success in another competition.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: blue;"> I was also a
top 20 finalist (hmmm, have just decided 20 will be my new lucky number) in a
Mills and Boon New Voices Competition. Part of my prize was to work
with an M&B editor so I was busy working on a different manuscript with
them when I saw the call for submissions from a new digital publisher, Carina UK. I
decided to send in DSH and three weeks later I had a call from my M&B
editor to say that Carina wanted to publish my novel. It totally
confused me that my M&B editor was calling me about a manuscript I hadn’t
actually sent her, but then I’m easily confused and really it’s not that
confusing as Carina is part of Harlequin. (Hmmm, I really hope I
haven’t confused you now!)</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">How long had you been writing short stories before you took the next
step – and what pushed you to take that step?</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: blue;">About five years.
It was seeing other writer friends tackling novels and getting them published
that made me think I’d like to have a go at that too!</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Please tell us about your novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Desperately Seeking Heaven is a romantic comedy with a twist. </span></i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Love always comes
when you least expect it, at least that's what PA Alice Fletcher tells herself
as she looks forward to another Friday night of trash telly and wine-for-one.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">But what happens
when the unexpected is daytime TV crush Jimmy Mack, and he's sitting on your
couch watching the news...of the accident that claimed his life?</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Soon, Alice finds
her ordered life turned upside down by helping Jimmy right the wrongs of his
life so he can cross over to the ‘other side.'</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">But most unexpected of all is Alice's growing realisation that her
gorgeous ghost has taken up residence in her heart as well as in her home.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">You can buy it here:</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.carinauk.com/desperately-seeking-heaven">Carina</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Desperately-Seeking-Heaven-ebook/dp/B00DY37OTK">Amazon UK</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DY37OTK?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B00DY37OTK&linkCode=shr&tag=aubro-20">Amazon</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/desperately-seeking-heaven/id674160029?mt=11">iTunes</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://uk.nook.com/ebooks/desperately-seeking-heaven-by-jill-steeples/9781472043429">Nook UK</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/desperately-seeking-heaven">Kobo</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jill_Steeples_Desperately_Seeking_Heaven?id=sYwTAAAAQBAJ"><span style="color: blue;">Google Books</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have you always wanted to write a novel, or was there a time when you
thought you would only write short stories?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">I started writing with the intention of completing a novel but I never
got beyond the first chapter. I joined a creative writing class and it
was my tutor who suggested that I might be better starting with short
stories. It was great advice. I’m sure I would still be
tinkering with that very first chapter if she hadn’t pointed me in the right
direction.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Do you still write short stories, and if so how do you juggle both?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">At the moment I’m working to a deadline for my second novel and I have
another project on the go as well so I don’t have time to write any new short
stories unfortunately. I do like to tinker with some of my old
stories though and re-submit them if they haven’t sold yet. I still like to
have a couple of short stories out there.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Which do you prefer to write, novels or short stories?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Honestly…short stories. I can write a short story in a
morning and that gives a wonderful feeling of satisfaction to get something
completed and sent off. A novel can take months or years
even and then you get to the end and realise it’s not actually any good and
that’s when the really hard work starts.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have you any advice to a short story writer who may want to move on to
writing novels?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Well if I haven’t put everybody off with my last answer I’d say go for
it! There’s lots of opportunities out there now for writers with the
advent of many new digital imprints, including my own lovely publisher Carina
UK. </span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">I’d also advise people to plan their novel so you don’t get to the
24,000 mark and get stuck. Draw up character profiles and brief
chapter outlines so you have a plan to work to. This is advice I’ve
never actually followed myself but I’m sure it must be a much better way of
working than starting with Chapter 1 and then winging it!</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">What do you feel is the main difference between writing a short story
and a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">A short story normally deals with a specific moment in time and usually
has only a couple of characters. A novel can have any number of
characters and many sub-plots so it’s a much bigger project in every sense.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Which do you find easier to write, a novel or a short story?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: blue;">A short story for the obvious reason that it’s shorter and much more
manageable.</span></span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have you ever written a short story that you think would work well as a
novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">I have a couple of romantic short stories that have never sold and I
think the reason for that is that they read more like first chapters. I
could definitely see them being developed into something longer.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"> <i>I
hope to dig them out and do something with them one day.</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">If you no longer write short stories, do you miss it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">I do miss it! Hopefully it won’t be too long before I’ll be
able to get back to writing some more.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">What do you think are the pros and cons of moving from a short story to
a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #558ed5; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Pros: Everyone is very impressed that you are writing a
novel.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Cons: Everyone asks if you’re going to be the next J K Rowling.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">If you have an agent or publisher, do you think being a successful short
story writer helped get you noticed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">I don’t think so. I always mention it in any covering letter
but I honestly don’t think it helped in securing my contract. I
think any publisher is going to be judging your submission on its own merits
and if they don’t think it’s good enough then they’re not going to want to
publish it, however many short stories you’ve had published.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Do you think being a published short story gave you the confidence to
take the next step?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Yes, definitely</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">!</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Do you think self-promotion is an important part of being a novelist? If
so, what are your thoughts on self-promotion?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">It’s hugely important. So many books are published on a daily
basis it’s hard to get your book noticed, especially if you’re a debut
novelist. I admire writers who embrace the whole self-promotion
thing on twitter and Facebook and seem to be able to do it with such
aplomb! I feel like the awkward girl at the back of the room just
trying to break into the conversation. (Not that I’m remotely awkward in real
life, you understand.)</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="color: #558ed5; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">****</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;">Jill's Website: </span><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.jillsteeples.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.jillsteeples.co.uk/</a></span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-27497013790040423252013-09-15T00:29:00.000-07:002013-09-15T09:44:40.015-07:00The Good, The Bad and The Where do I go from HERE? <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>HERE I sit, saying,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Later, tomorrow, next
week<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>HERE I type
words<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Check emails,
Facebook, Twitter<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>HERE I’ll stay
forever<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Shackled by procrastination.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>WHERE is a place I want
to be<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Dynamic, productive,
proactive<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>WHERE is a place they say well done! Good job!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>A place I sign and smile<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>WHERE is a place I’m
heading now <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Once I’m freed from
procrastinate hell<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wrote that all by myself.
Just now – in five minutes flat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stop sniggering!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, OK - some of you may say I should stick to writing
stories. And you are probably right.
Although I have got poetry in my blood – many of my family are very talented in
the poetry department, I’ll have you know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AND I wrote a poem when I studied for my degree that has now been accepted by a
wonderful poetry magazine – Good Lord!
But more about that another time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why I’m blogging today is not to share my doggerel with you –
but to share my ups and downs of the last few weeks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My Novels<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well <i>Eight Degrees</i>
came winging back from one of the two agents I sent it to. The agent was very kind and gave me some
feedback which included that my writing is fluent, which is nice – and she
added some tips on how to improve the novel
- which was kind too. Her main
concern was she felt there were too many characters in the novel. I had suspected that, I must admit. Although I
have read many books with lots of characters - they are mainly by established
authors. Maybe a debut novelist should
stick to the rules. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Eight Degrees</i> is
still with another agent but I’m not holding my breath as I might die. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Part of me wonders if I’m barking up the wrong novel. <i>Five
Men in a Box, </i>after all, was read three times by Darley Anderson before they finally said no. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or maybe I should take all I’ve learnt and embark on a brand new
novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or maybe I could just check my Facebook.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Twitter anyone?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>My Anthology<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
WELL, I have been proactive here. Oh YES! My anthology is almost edited, and my son’s
working on the cover as we speak. Well he will be when he gets up. I have a
title too which I'm rather happy with. So not long now before I
upload. YIKES! Scary turnips!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Short Stories<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve had a rather good few weeks short story-wise. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll quickly move past the four rejections from Take a Break
that the now black-eyed postman delivered last week, and tell you I sold my 50<sup>th</sup>
story – yes 50! And then a week later I sold story 51! WHOOP!
This is the last time I <s>brag </s>announce
my sales on here, as I’m getting on my own nerves, quite frankly. But for those interested I do add them to my
blog<a href="http://writingallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/p/sales-and-successes.html"> HERE.</a> I can't promise, however, not to post if I EVER crack Woman’s Weekly!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBdKESnTe_qsJ_9_pEGn2AOfS7XBQ5U5ZZj16JkFDZXQPQwycZGFAor9JeLHxZWtKwVT46dyh-KgmldcGGmuVkocQIVZag1EdTQuSuhmRzcXhlEn09BN1Q3uwpUXYYaxkwiGLd5Plqmw/s1600/The+people's+friend+special.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBdKESnTe_qsJ_9_pEGn2AOfS7XBQ5U5ZZj16JkFDZXQPQwycZGFAor9JeLHxZWtKwVT46dyh-KgmldcGGmuVkocQIVZag1EdTQuSuhmRzcXhlEn09BN1Q3uwpUXYYaxkwiGLd5Plqmw/s1600/The+people's+friend+special.jpg" width="141" /></a>I had a rather nice week publication-wise last week too, with a
story in The People’s Friend Special <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And another in The Weekly News.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeLNklnxygyl8I5ruFpVO0DJBm25YKSgb8Z3v49wyfBgmWRlcl0VhJpyyR7zmqmyb8GIZhus6WyvjWu2AlWV8a74GBPN6Vt8NTLJEYEnBe10mQkwh26mM9TFlvK6sHwdJ8B49RQ50Bgg/s1600/the+weekly+news.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeLNklnxygyl8I5ruFpVO0DJBm25YKSgb8Z3v49wyfBgmWRlcl0VhJpyyR7zmqmyb8GIZhus6WyvjWu2AlWV8a74GBPN6Vt8NTLJEYEnBe10mQkwh26mM9TFlvK6sHwdJ8B49RQ50Bgg/s1600/the+weekly+news.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>I must tell you that The Weekly News one was VERY topical –
so I think it’s really worth aiming stories their way that are on subjects presently
news-worthy.<b> </b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where do I go from here?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, to end on a poetic note: <i>If I let
my dreams slip through my fingers – I only have one person to blame.<b> (I made that up too - which kind-of explains why it isnt very poetic at all!)</b></i><b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ooh, and just to add: <a href="http://richardandjudy.whsmith.co.uk/search-for-a-bestseller/">HERE's</a> a link to The Richard and Judy 'Search for a Bestseller' competition - which I may just give a whirl!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bye for now X</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-80479456089465297092013-09-11T02:39:00.002-07:002013-09-11T22:31:52.718-07:00From Short Story Writer to Novelist - An Interview with Patsy Collins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mui1hi4ID07qexnqLJBYea2KC7z15Rb4W4Na0R2yPv196kMVWLQSuaGcyUBWXSGM96PaWQZIoLdxQ2DWdAYmJqvXH9BpK5UQZD7yEF5fLlGwo85BUHYqFGrrxLiLZaWv_kJXm6pX1Vw/s1600/PatsyCollins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mui1hi4ID07qexnqLJBYea2KC7z15Rb4W4Na0R2yPv196kMVWLQSuaGcyUBWXSGM96PaWQZIoLdxQ2DWdAYmJqvXH9BpK5UQZD7yEF5fLlGwo85BUHYqFGrrxLiLZaWv_kJXm6pX1Vw/s1600/PatsyCollins.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm thrilled to invite the very talented, Patsy Collins to Writing Allsorts for a wee chat about her journey from short story writer to novelist.<br />
<br />
So without further ado...<br />
<br />
Hi Patsy, welcome to Writing Allsorts. Thank you so much for visiting. Please catch your breath, and tell us a bit about your success as a short story
writer.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz41N56KUmdMbPmiCnDPdY9NNiiLTVVLwQ8p741Ma2nilZMTN2uAIzRgHlS42GpKT8lZv4veO77znQoAHr-T7I-nwSmtu9ywOvvb5cX6O-BaqgUOW7EtkUtZ-symso-W_tcK3pze9VEzo/s1600/not+a+drop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz41N56KUmdMbPmiCnDPdY9NNiiLTVVLwQ8p741Ma2nilZMTN2uAIzRgHlS42GpKT8lZv4veO77znQoAHr-T7I-nwSmtu9ywOvvb5cX6O-BaqgUOW7EtkUtZ-symso-W_tcK3pze9VEzo/s1600/not+a+drop.jpg" width="125" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">A Chance to brag? Oh, go on then
... My first short stories were published in 2005 in The Lady and The Weekly
News. Eventually Woman's Weekly, Take a Break and My Weekly also saw the light.
Since then I've had over 250 published in magazines in England, Ireland,
Australia and South Africa and online and in anthologies. See, international success
me!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">A short collection of my stories, <i>Not A Drop to Drink</i>, is available to download FREE <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Not-Drop-Drink-ebook/dp/B009RX5MGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378832335&sr=8-1&keywords=not+a+drop+to+drink+patsy">HERE</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Other stories are available from Alife Dog Fiction at 39p <a href="http://alfiedog.com/products-page/patsy-collins/">HERE</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How long had you been writing short stories before you took
the next step – and what pushed you to take that step, if anything?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">I'd been writing short stories
for a few years, with no intention to write a novel when one particular story
started getting out of hand. I couldn't seem to leave it alone and kept thinking
about Mavis, the central character and wondering what she was doing. After
about 50,000 words I realised it was no longer a short story (I notice little
things like that) That story is now my novel,<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paint-Me-A-Picture-ebook/dp/B0094WFGHW/ref=pd_sim_b_2"> <i>Paint Me a Picture</i>.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you ever entered or won any competitions?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">My novel, <i>Escape to the Country</i>,
beat more than 600 others in a competition and was published as a result. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">I had previously tried to get an
agent, with no luck at all. I'd also contacted Mills and Boon who wrote me a
three page letter saying why they liked it, and why it wasn't for them. A lot
of it was very positive, but it also showed me a possible reason for my lack of
success with agents - <i>Escape to the Country</i> isn't a traditional romance. It has
a crime element to it (the competition I won was for a crime novel) the
secondary characters have far more than a cameo role (the story is as much
about friendship and family relationships as about romance) and the setting is
much more than a backdrop (it's set on a farm and there's a lot of scenes
involving animals and mud). It's harder to sell books that don't easily fit a
genre. <i>Paint Me a Picture</i> is even worse from that point of view. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">By the time I'd entered the
competition I doubted I'd interest an agent or mainstream publisher.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Do tell us a bit about your <span style="color: #6b2394;">s</span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">elf-published novels</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 0cm; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">I self published my next two
novels. As I've said, I realised how difficult it would be to get an agent or
mainstream publisher involved. Unfortunately (for me) novel writing
competitions are usually for unpublished authors, so this seemed the best
option. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">The books were edited and
professionally proofread before I uploaded them for kindle, and later as
paperbacks. Luckily I had, by that time, married someone who could do my
covers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
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Do tell us a bit about your novels, and how we can get our mitts on them!<br />
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWyarBRONN5C1x0OD9PU1E9q2ynz61RiFgfcbXUMuEpnpe-El35VGXH8FpoUbYHTQ4hjmJ1rvqaSfwku0NkvS2O5m1HyLFriME7Yc4S6WE0-6D8jdn3IToFji7o3yWUFEjnflfjoi1ag/s1600/escape+to+the+country.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWyarBRONN5C1x0OD9PU1E9q2ynz61RiFgfcbXUMuEpnpe-El35VGXH8FpoUbYHTQ4hjmJ1rvqaSfwku0NkvS2O5m1HyLFriME7Yc4S6WE0-6D8jdn3IToFji7o3yWUFEjnflfjoi1ag/s1600/escape+to+the+country.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: blue; color: #6b2394;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><i>Escape to the Country
</i>romance/chicklit/contemporary can be purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-To-The-Country-ebook/dp/B007OA1JHC/ref=pd_sim_b_3">HERE</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><i>Paint Me a Picture</i> character
development/contemporary/hard to define can be purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paint-Me-A-Picture-ebook/dp/B0094WFGHW/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377858527&sr=1-3"> HERE</a> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNG_enmP2akJWrLXKWrDKYmFulS7Wr60nnj9XrZSN1JbJfKc8keXjZqElYw2r6NxRb5j5IFOFJikqof31YVbKwkVGfGguOQLXVyErsk7iySg9QEtUKq45wLpqeV6QDRFDOavpLLtpYxQ/s1600/a+year+and+a+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNG_enmP2akJWrLXKWrDKYmFulS7Wr60nnj9XrZSN1JbJfKc8keXjZqElYw2r6NxRb5j5IFOFJikqof31YVbKwkVGfGguOQLXVyErsk7iySg9QEtUKq45wLpqeV6QDRFDOavpLLtpYxQ/s1600/a+year+and+a+day.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><i>A Year and a Day
</i>romance/chicklit can be purchased <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Day-ebook/dp/B00B0OWHQU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378833725&sr=1-1&keywords=a+year+and+a+day+patsy+collins">HERE</a></span></div>
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Have
you always wanted to write a novel, or was there a time when you thought
you would only write short stories?</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;">When I first started creative
writing classes I just did it for fun. I didn't really expect to write a short
story anyone would want to pay for and it never occurred to me that I might be
able to complete a whole book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: blue;">I did rather like the idea of
being someone who had written books though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Do you
still write short stories, and if so how do you juggle both?</div>
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<span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">I spend more time writing short
stories than I do novels, but I always have a novel or two on the go as well.
It doesn't feel like juggling to me as working on different things comes naturally.
I like to leave first drafts (of any length) for a while before editing or
rewriting. The best way to get a clear break from them is to write something
else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">How I'm feeling also affects
what I want to write. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for a key emotional scene,
or maybe I'm fed up and want to write something light to lift my mood. If I've
not got much time, then adding to something rather than starting afresh is
good. If I'm feeling picky then final editing checks are the ideal task. Other
times getting completely lost in a story will suit me perfectly.</span></div>
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Do you prefer to write novels or short stories?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">That's right, I prefer to write
short stories or novels! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Have you any advice to a short story writer who may want to
move on to writing novels?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Give it a go. If it all goes
horribly wrong you can always delete it and claim it was brilliant but a
computer virus destroyed it and you're too distraught to ever try again.
(That's what happened with my play).</span></div>
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What do
you feel is the main difference between writing a short story and a novel?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Novels are bigger. Obviously
they're longer and therefore take longer, but that's not quite what I mean.
They're not just a series of short stories with something holding them together
and they're not just one really long short story. It's a bit like the
difference between adults and children. Adults aren't simply larger children
who've lived longer. Well actually some are ... I'll try it with cakes. A
wedding cake isn't just a huge cupcake is it?</span><span style="color: #6b2394;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">So there you have it. Novels are
bigger short stories with a layer of marzipan.</span></div>
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Which
do you find easier to write, a novel or a short story?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Some of my short stories have
been easy to write, as have some novel scenes. Some of each have required much
more time and hair pulling. It's not the easiness which keeps me going, but the
difficulty in stopping.</span></div>
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Have
you ever written a short story that you think would work well as a novel?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Yes, The First Day <a href="http://alfiedog.com/products-page/commercial/the-first-day-patsy-collins-3000-words-commercial/">HERE</a> became Paint Me a Picture. Since then I can tell early into the first
draft if the idea will fit into a short story or not. Generally I don't think
that an idea that works as a short story would work as a novel, but I expect
there are exceptions.</span></div>
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What do
you think are the pros and cons of moving from a short story to a novel?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Novel writing can be
disheartening as it takes so long to finish and then the chances of selling it
are so low. Because the writer puts so much into a novel, its failure will hurt
much more than that of a short story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Of course it might be a
tremendous success and the writer will naturally be delighted. There's nothing
wrong with hoping for that, but if it's your only motive for writing the novel
then you're likely to be disappointed.</span></div>
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If you
have an agent or publisher, do you think being a successful short story
writer helped get you noticed?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">I had a reasonable track record
with short stories before I got rejected by agents and publishers, so it's
obviously not a huge help. I think that all the agent or publisher is truly
interested in is if they'll be able to sell your book.</span></div>
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Do you
think self-promotion is an important part of being a novelist? If so, what are your thoughts on
self-promotion?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">I do think it's important, yes.
More so for those who're self published, or published by a small press, but it
seems everyone has to do some. I'm not keen on doing it and I'm not alone in
that. Writers want to write and promotion takes up writing time and energy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: blue;">We have to do it though. If
people don't know about our books they can't read them and if they're not read
there's little point in writing them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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***<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
Patsy Collins can be found at<br />
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<span style="color: #6b2394;">http://patsy-collins.blogspot.co.uk/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-4504128916221413782013-09-04T05:31:00.001-07:002018-02-27T07:54:05.640-08:00From Short Story Writer to Novelist - An Interview with Cally Taylor <div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I'm always inspired and motivated by those short story writers who
have successfully made the jump to publishing a novel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Over the next six weeks, I’m SO excited to be interviewing some of
those writers who prove it can be done. Patsy Collins, Della Galton, Jill
Steeples, Karen Clarke, Cally Taylor and Sarah England have all very kindly
agreed to be interviewed here at Writing Allsorts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Kicking off the interviews today is the very lovely, Cally Taylor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Welcome to Writing Allsorts, Cally. Please tell us a bit about your
success as a short story writer.</b><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I started writing short stories in 2005
and, after dozens of rejections, got my big break in September 2006 when my
story 'Wish You Were Here' came second in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Woman's
Own<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>short story competition
and was published in the magazine.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Shortly afterwards I started an online
critique group called 'A Story a Fortnight' where we wrote womag stories to
prompts every fortnight <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and
critiqued and scored each other's anonymously posted stories. The group was
HUGELY successful (well, it did include Sally Quilford, Karen Clarke and
WomagWriter!) and, between us, we had hundreds of stories published by womags
in the UK and abroad.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Whilst I was in the group I had stories
published in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Take a Break
Fiction Feast<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>My Weekly<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>(I never did manage to crack<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Woman's Weekly</i>) and was placed in
dozens of competitions including first prize in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Bank Street Writers, Lancet Fact to
Fiction, Helen Mullin Awards,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Sedbergh Festival of Books and
Drama<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>short story
competitions.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I took a break from short stories from
2007-2011 when I wrote and edited my first two novels 'Heaven Can Wait' and
'Home for Christmas' but came out of short story retirement in 2012 when I was
commissioned to write a story for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Your
Cat<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>magazine and Belinda
Jones's hugely popular<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Sunlounger<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>anthology.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">This year I self-published 'Secrets and
Rain', an ebook anthology of my previously published and prize winning stories.
It went to #2 in the Women Writers Short Stories chart on Amazon.co.uk and has
been selling steadily ever since.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Please
tell us about your journey from short story to novel.</b><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Coming second in the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Woman's Own<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>competition was the boost to my
confidence that I needed to start writing a novel. That and the fact a friend
from school died suddenly aged 33 and her death made me realise that I had to
stop making excuses why I wasn't ready to write a novel and do it NOW!<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">In 2007 I wrote 'Heaven Can Wait' like a
woman possessed and finished the first draft in 3 months and 3 weeks (writing
every night after work). Editing it took longer (7 months) and, in September
2008, I sent it off to six agents I'd selected from the Writers and Artists
Yearbook. I had a few 'nearly' rejection letters and then Darley Anderson rang
me to request the full manuscript. Darley's second phone call wasn't quite so positive.
The manuscript had potential, he said, but it needed to be pacier and funnier
if it stood any chance on the market and I'd have to rewrite it before he
considered representing me. I was gutted but, after a brief sulk, set about
rewriting.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I sent it back in six months later and,
two weeks after that – in early 2008 - Madeleine Milburn, who worked for Darley
as Head of Foreign Rights, rang me to say she'd read my revised manuscript and
had loved it so much she'd asked him if she could represent me. He said yes
and, within a year, she'd got me a two book deal with Orion (it was published
in 2009) and sold it to fourteen publishers abroad.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">My second novel, 'Home for Christmas' came
out in 2011, six weeks after I gave birth to my first child! I promoted it with
a small blog tour and a competition when the baby was napping (and I should
have been too!).<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I don't know if it was the sleep
deprivation, the hormones or a burst of recklessness that made me do it but, in
2012 while I was on maternity leave, I decided to write a very different novel
from my first two - a psychological thriller. The opening 1,000 words had won
the RNA Elizabeth Goudge trophy in 2011 and I was itching to write the rest.
With Maddy's blessing I did. And now I have a 2 book deal with Avon
HarperCollins writing psychological thrillers under the name of CL Taylor. The
first book, 'The Accident', comes out in June 2014.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-size: 13pt;">Tell us about your novels.</b><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">My romantic-comedies are available online,
in all good bookshops and in libraries and my short story collection is
available on all Amazon sites (for £1.53 or $2.99 for a limited time). My
psychological thriller isn’t out until June 2014 but will be available in
paperback and ebook.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heaven-Can-Wait-ebook/dp/B004Y500H0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378297028&sr=1-1&keywords=heaven+can+wait">Heaven Can Wait</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2009, Orion)<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClOnlggOMscSflsBVgI2FDIuiYzYpQk3VHKrxCJA7BWe3c3roGQVuqw0nRVubhnm1flhh6yCOYv3KmR8goYo0UEXqF3n39exEUUoXXSVH1iST3Aj-zH-ycKRHiSyZ9ZOm5GbSV6vnHWY/s1600/heaven+can+wait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClOnlggOMscSflsBVgI2FDIuiYzYpQk3VHKrxCJA7BWe3c3roGQVuqw0nRVubhnm1flhh6yCOYv3KmR8goYo0UEXqF3n39exEUUoXXSVH1iST3Aj-zH-ycKRHiSyZ9ZOm5GbSV6vnHWY/s1600/heaven+can+wait.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Lucy is about to marry the man of her
dreams - kind, handsome, funny Dan - when she breaks her neck the night before
their wedding. Unable to accept a lifetime's separation from her soulmate, Lucy
decides to become a ghost rather than go to heaven and be parted from Dan. But
it turns out things aren't quite as easy as that...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-for-Christmas-ebook/dp/B005V2247E/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378297072&sr=1-2&keywords=home+for+christmas">Homefor Christmas</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(2011, Orion)<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9v02j-HcGIJU_LB796z9xh-YfsKQJhmhJZ69hhNcc6_v8XYjuYAfF-MFrzYiuzvztQvZLGsMyybnOa5mAv-iHknuei4CCFBWRnJoNa_Q_xhveh8qBQ-BfXakrF4Fc0cTC6DXszG3mqA/s1600/home+for+xmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9v02j-HcGIJU_LB796z9xh-YfsKQJhmhJZ69hhNcc6_v8XYjuYAfF-MFrzYiuzvztQvZLGsMyybnOa5mAv-iHknuei4CCFBWRnJoNa_Q_xhveh8qBQ-BfXakrF4Fc0cTC6DXszG3mqA/s1600/home+for+xmas.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Beth Prince lives by the seaside, works in
the Picturebox - a charming but rundown independent cinema - and has a
boyfriend who's so debonair and charming she can't believe her luck! There's
just one problem - none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and
it doesn't look like Aiden's going to say it any time soon. Desperate to hear
'I love you' for the first time Beth takes matters into her own hands - and
instantly wishes she hadn't. Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is
her romantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Rain-Heart-warming-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00ELIUMEG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378297108&sr=1-1&keywords=secrets+and+rain">‘Secrets and Rain’</a>: a heart-warming short story collection (2013, Kindle)<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwD7utn0XeOaxciCa0neBW-Xb07WqH8jwNBS644G8xtLJLwa4vQshwa7hxzBM5Bw-Gp_0OSEQkGq7tRZYva9-hrmt88ROa5aChId9SmZfKy8e48Vah7obiAUzYZ4AOrkrshnNAEbYKv-U/s1600/secrets+and+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwD7utn0XeOaxciCa0neBW-Xb07WqH8jwNBS644G8xtLJLwa4vQshwa7hxzBM5Bw-Gp_0OSEQkGq7tRZYva9-hrmt88ROa5aChId9SmZfKy8e48Vah7obiAUzYZ4AOrkrshnNAEbYKv-U/s1600/secrets+and+rain.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Twelve magical stories from the
award-winning author of HEAVEN CAN WAIT and HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. Grab a drink,
put up your feet and lose yourself in these heart-warming tales of love, loss
and hope. Peep inside the ‘Little Box of Wishes’, discover how ‘Two Red
Balloons’ heal a rift between a mother and daughter and fall in love with
Alfred, the ‘Rent-a-Cat’.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">If you’re a fan of the fiction in women's
magazines you’ll love this collection of Cally's previously published stories.
Also included – and available online for the first time - three prizewinning
stories: ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘My Daughter the Deep Sea Diver’ and ‘Under the
Waves’.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 13pt;">'Secrets and Rain is a treasure trove
brimming over with captivating stories of life, loss and love. A truly
wonderful collection that you won't want to end!'</span></i><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Miranda Dickinson</span></b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">, Sunday Times Bestseller (Fairytale of
New York)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13pt;">The Accident</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;">(June 2014, Avon HarperCollins)<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">To the outside world Susan Jackson has it
all – a loving family, a successful politician husband and a beautiful home –
but when Charlotte, her fifteen year old daughter, deliberately steps in front
of a bus and ends up in a coma Sue questions whether any of it was real.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Desperate to find out what caused
Charlotte’s suicide attempt, she is horrified by an entry in her diary –
‘Keeping this secret is killing me’. As Sue spins in desperate circles, she
risks everything to discover the truth and finds herself immersed in a shady
world she didn’t know existed. The deeper she delves the darker the world
becomes and the more danger she puts herself in.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Can Sue wake up from the nightmares that
haunt her and save her daughter, or will ‘the secret’ destroy them both?<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Have you always wanted to write a
novel, or was there a time when you thought you would only write short stories?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I've always wanted to write a novel. I
sent my first attempt, written in crayon and bound to wool, to Penguin when I
was eight years old. And received my first rejection letter by return post...<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Do
you still write short stories, and if so how do you juggle both?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">These days I only write short stories if
there's a specific reason - for a magazine for promo for a book coming out, for
inclusion in an anthology (I wrote one for possible inclusion in the Crime
Writers' Association anthology last month), for a commission etc - as I just don't
have the time to write them for fun (which is gutting!).<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I work as a manager for a London Uni four
days a week and look after my toddler the rest of the time. That means I have
to try and fit all my writing into my evenings and I'm so knackered it's all I
can do to write 1000 words of a novel. There just isn't the time for stories
too.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Which
do you prefer to write, novels or short stories?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Both! I love how quick short stories are
to write and you get that lovely buzz when you finish one. They're also great
because, if one doesn't work out and you have to scrap it you haven't wasted a
year of your life writing it. And you have the freedom to write about loads of
different characters, different settings, different plots etc.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">On the flip side novels are HUGELY
satisfying to finish because they're so bloody hard to write, not to mention
time consuming, but also because you build up a very deep, very real
relationship with your characters. You can pour more of yourself into a novel,
you can explore themes on a deep level and you can be adventurous with the plot
and subplots. As satisfying as it is holding a magazine that features one of my
short stories, nothing compares to weighing the weight of a novel you've
written in your hands.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I guess short stories are like flings,
whereas novels are like relationships, there's a time and a place for both.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Have
you any advice to a short story writer who may want to move on to writing
novels?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">If you've had short stories published and
you've worked hard on your craft there's no reason why you can't write a novel
too. But do prepare yourself for the emotional roller coaster that goes along
with writing a novel. After your initial burst of enthusiasm you'll grow weary
of it (round about the 10,000 word mark). At 30,000 words you'll hate it and
come up with a new idea. You'll be tempted to ditch the novel for the new idea
but don't do it, keep writing. You'll hate your novel again around the 60,000 word
mark but push on. You'll probably have a massive burst of enthusiasm and energy
as you approach 90,000-100,000 words (I <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>often
write 6,000 words in one sitting) and when you type THE END you'll experience
the biggest rush ever (or feel like it's the world's biggest anti-climax). The
next day you'll feel quite, quite lost.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>What
do you feel is the main difference between writing a short story and a novel?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Stamina! (see above)<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Which
do you find easier to write, a novel or a short story?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Short stories, definitely. Some of my best
ones were written in less than three hours. Novels often feel like they take
forever!<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Have
you ever written a short story that you think would work well as a novel?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">A few people who've read 'Secrets and
Rain', my short story collection, have said they wished some of the stories
were novels so they could carry on reading them, but no, I've never thought
that. Although I did turn a novel idea into a short story for the 'Sunlounger'
anthology (which is possibly why it ended up being 6,500 words long!)<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>If
you no longer write short stories, do you miss it?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">I write them rarely and I do wish I could
write them more often.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>What
do you think are the pros and cons of moving from a short story to a novel?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Pros: Your work can be read more widely
and in more countries, you'll (probably) earn more money, you'll build up a
readership and receive the most wonderful fan letters/emails. And, every once
in a blue moon, you'll get to go to swanky publisher parties!<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Cons: Say goodbye to your social life –
and possibly sleep - because you'll need every last minute to write, edit, copy
edit, proof edit, foreign version edit, promote, market etc. And you'll miss
the buzz of finishing a story, sending it off and watching your letterbox for
brown envelopes!<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>If
you have an agent or publisher, do you think being a successful short story
writer helped get you noticed?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Absolutely. Maddy told me that the fact
I'd mentioned competition wins and magazines I'd been published in in my cover
letter was proof that I could write and that professional editors had found
merit in my work.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Do
you think being a published short story writer gave you the confidence to take
the next step?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">Oh yes! I've always believed in giving
myself writing challenges and then using the boost to my confidence to try and
achieve the next one. My first challenge was to be published online, then in a
magazine, then win a competition, then write a novel, then get an agent and a
deal. I saw each challenge as a rung on the ladder to writing success. Now my
aim is to hang onto that ladder for dear life! Seriously, my challenges these
days are for my next book to sell well, to build my readership, to write a
bestseller, to have a book made into a bestselling film and to snog George
Clooney on the red carpet (what?!).<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Do
you think self-promotion is an important part of being a novelist? If so, what
are your thoughts on self-promotion?<u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">It's a huge part of being a novelist these
days and your agent and publisher expects you to do as much as you can. It's
time-consuming, sometimes stressful and it eats into your writing time but a
writer needs readers and it has to be done!<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">***<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt;">Cally Taylor is an author with two writing heads. Her
Cally Taylor head writes romantic comedies and women’s fiction whilst her CL
Taylor head writes dark psychological thrillers.<u1:p></u1:p><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">You can find out
more about Cally below:<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Blog 1:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://writing-about-writing.blogspot.com/">http://writing-about-writing.blogspot.com</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(for all Cally Taylor news)<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Blog 2:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://cltaylorauthor.wordpress.com/">http://cltaylorauthor.wordpress.com</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(for all CL Taylor news)<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Facebook:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/CallyTaylorAuthor">http://www.facebook.com/CallyTaylorAuthor</a><u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Twitter:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/callytaylor">http://www.twitter.com/callytaylor</a><u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Secrets and Rain’
– Cally’s heart-warming short story collection is out now.<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Rain-Heart-warming-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00ELIUMEG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378297108&sr=1-1&keywords=secrets+and+rain"> Why not treat yourself to copy! </a><u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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'Her Last Lie' is Amanda Brittany's debut psychological thriller published by HQ Digital/HarperCollins. It's OUT NOW and can be downloaded <a href="http://amzn%2Cto/2jedgo7">HERE</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB4M9cQGlLRE2s9bNant2ngIKQm3psP-sI6v9O_HA5GSsJtuXuMdd6tIUBhLKW7dTr62-a_qAj0OsLNSlQ2dMhMD5qCt6BdrKJIsiP66XdtOFHAFUJJk9EZA5eEhfT5CzDrNpkmmi08g/s1600/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsB4M9cQGlLRE2s9bNant2ngIKQm3psP-sI6v9O_HA5GSsJtuXuMdd6tIUBhLKW7dTr62-a_qAj0OsLNSlQ2dMhMD5qCt6BdrKJIsiP66XdtOFHAFUJJk9EZA5eEhfT5CzDrNpkmmi08g/s320/Her+Last+Lie_FINAL_v2.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4795505206291206148.post-44438704535565020022013-08-30T23:59:00.000-07:002013-09-01T03:30:30.630-07:00Make your own Twitter Video<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_RKVVYv78GusAYhqvHe0Gy99sZONecMSIY104CV9AqbO_HykUSX1z9zr9wf1fYV9GA72_RLGYecwKOvj81NPXG9bn_gV_ocQ7MwZEJaUpqdx5EaiVIUXg3GFNvzqhqO-cu2tfnRJRJE/s1600/twitter+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_RKVVYv78GusAYhqvHe0Gy99sZONecMSIY104CV9AqbO_HykUSX1z9zr9wf1fYV9GA72_RLGYecwKOvj81NPXG9bn_gV_ocQ7MwZEJaUpqdx5EaiVIUXg3GFNvzqhqO-cu2tfnRJRJE/s1600/twitter+2.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a></div>
I've been procrastinating, AGAIN, and just wanted to share with you the results of my procrastinating-itus this time.<br />
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I've made my VERY own Twitter Video. <a href="https://www.vizify.com/amanda-timoney/twitter-video">HERE</a><br />
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I think, and I'm sure you'll agree after watching it, it might explain why I've only got 113, no wait.112 followers. <br />
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If you're on Twitter and fancy making one yourself to share on Facebook, Twitter and all other major online outlets, visit www.vizify.com <a href="https://www.vizify.com/">HERE</a> (Do read the small print though.)</div>
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Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06919354420843737481noreply@blogger.com5