Hats off to the Past, Coats off to the Future – The History of Wilshere-Dacre School

Today, I saw on Amazon that my non-fiction book, ‘Hats off to the Past, Coats off to the Future’ is a Bestseller. Umm...well it ranks 2,119,358 in Amazon Bestsellers. – That’s the same thing – right?

Ooh, and even better than that: The book is so blummin’ rare it now sells for £25, when it was once £9.99. Trouble is I’m no longer selling it – a second-hand bookshop is cashing in on my meagre success. Just think, I could have been a millionaire if I’d only held some back.

Seeing my book on there has caused me to trundle merrily down memory lane. The year is 1997. The month is November. And the excitement of publishing my own book is making my insides want to venture out.

I only published a limited number – 500 to be exact – I couldn’t afford more. And along with subscribers – over 200 (I’ve since disposed of the thumb screws) plus a loan from the lovely parents – I did it. Yes, I self-published a non-fiction book. And, thank the heavens, the WHOLE lot sold within a month.

I’ve actually been asked several times *she says a little too smugly* if I’d do another run. But I never have, although I wonder sometimes if I should. Mind you the book's on four floppy disks – and who has floppy disks these days?

The greatest pleasure of writing about my old junior school was it made people happy. I got letters of thanks that fill two albums. *I’m actually looking at them now, saying, ‘awh, how lovely – people can be so kind.’* It was such a satisfying venture, from the thrill of interviewing my old head teacher, to the parcels arriving full of MY books.

Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen. times. Memories aye?

Is this Fact in Fiction, ma Lord?

I’ve been tinkering with a part-written short story I wrote four years ago, around the time I was in a car crash.

The core of the piece is taken from the horrid experience – mainly how I felt at the time – and particularly the feeling of coming out of unconsciousness to the sound of fire engine and ambulance sirens. Yes, I’ve changed the names and the actual circumstances to a large extent, but it is based on fact. And I've realised this isn’t the first time I’ve used a personal experience as a basis for one of my short stories.

This made me wonder how much of ourselves we reveal when we write.

My novel is, in my opinion, a complete work of fiction from top to tail - well so I thought. My sister thinks otherwise. She noticed I based the protagonist’s childhood home on where we lived as children. It even has a lamppost outside, a yellow back gate and a picture of galloping horses on the wall. Bet you can’t wait to read it. ;-)

So did I deliberately base it on my childhood home? I’m not sure – it all just appeared on the page, flowing from my subconscious. But it seems, although the plot is complete fiction *I’m pretty sure it is*, I’ve drawn on my own memories to set the scene.

The only thing I never seem to do when I write, however, is base characters on REAL people. It’s really odd – as I know some people do – but every single one of my characters is a total work of fiction.

Do you use factual events or people you know in your fiction? Go on, tell me - I promise not to tell anyone. :-)

The London Ghost Walk and Other Stuff

The London Ghost Walk

As some of you already know I find ghosts fascinating. Novel 1 and Novel 2 embrace a supernatural theme...

So, for me, Friday was very exciting, as I trundled up to London and took part in The Original London Ghost Walk...

...and here’s me being an excited minor-celebrity stalker, with our excellent guide Richard Jones, who some may remember from Most Haunted fame.








Ooh, and here’s two odd looking light anomalies taken in quick succession as we looked into St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Trick of the light? Perhaps.














There are some pretty spooky nurses at St Bart’s, the oldest hospital in London. One, apparently murdered in a lift, makes her presence felt in the early hours of the morning. The said lift often cranks its way to the basement, no matter which floor has been asked for, and plunges into darkness, refusing to move however much the weary traveller pushes the buttons. *spooky aye?* Finally, occupants will vacate the lift and climb the stairs to the ground floor, only to find the lift waiting, lights on. *and it get's worse.* If the person decides to walk, the lift will follow as they mount the twisting staircase. *shivers a little*

Other ghoulish nurses include one on Grace Ward (or pinkies ward). It's said she prescribed a fatal overdose to a patient and took her own life in remorse. And another nurse appears on the Bedford Fenwick Ward, apparently giving comfort just before death. *Remind me not to get sick around St. Barts!*

I’m not sure my photographs are any of these nurses trying to manifest, but I certainly got a a chill when I saw them on my return home.

Anyhoo, the tour was brilliant. Richard Jones is impressively theatrical, without being over the top. For me, there was just the right amount of spookyness. It wasn’t one of those *jump out from behind a gravestone type tours* but it gave me a chill from time to time, and was full of interesting historical facts.


Other Stuff


Apologises to those who couldn’t see my *How many womag writer’s are there* post. I somehow managed to leave it in draft form when I amended. I really can’t be trusted alone with a blog. I'm still updating - so please continue to comment or email.

And finally...


I’m pleased to be part of WRITERS PLATFORM BUILDING CRUSADE . A fab idea and a great way of getting to know other bloggers, plus *hopefully* gain a few more readers. :-)) Do pop over and see how it all works!


(Both *ghostie* pictures have blog author copyright – please credit this blog if you would like to copy. Thanks.)

To Self Publish or Not to Self Publish...

...that is the question.

OK, so is it viable? I've been pondering over the idea for a while and have come up with a few pros and cons.


PROS

Well...IT CAN WORK – and here are a few name s to prove it...

William Blake, Lord Byron, T.S. Eliot, Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling, D.H. Lawrence, Beatrix Potter, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Virginia Woolf.

Okay, okay, so they're not very recent, but Stephen King is self published, and that’s got to be a positive, surely. Plus there have been several recent successes that I know of William P. Young, Jeremy Robinson and J.A. Konrath for example.

And of course on-line self-publishing is huge, with sites like LULU and the options to upload your novel onto the Amazon Kindle. And with print on demand sites like Blurb you could have your novel in your excited mitts before you could say, ‘Harry Potter’. You could even print a few copies and see how your book is greeted. Perhaps promote it on your own website, on You Tube (if you know a clever person who could make a mini-film plug for your book), and through social networking. Then, if it goes down a storm, you may even nab yourself a publishing deal for any reprints. All sounds pretty brilliant to me! Easy peasy!

CONS

It has to be said, publishers and agents have the skills needed to take what you have written and turn it into a marketable book. As they look at your original manuscript they are immediately aware of the many changes needed before it can be slipped on the best seller shelves at Waterstones or WH Smith. I’m certain if I was EVER lucky enough to get an agent, they would make many changes to my novel. A definite reason for going down the traditional route if at all possible.

You have to be BRILLIANT at selling yourself with self-publishing. It won't be easy convincing people to open your book if you haven’t got a publishing company behind you.

I have to admit, I may one day self-publish, as my sister loves my book. ;-) But I'm only going to do the self-publishing walk, if/when the agent/publisher route fails. And with odds like 14,400 – 2 chance of getting an agent stacked against me - it probably will. So, for that very reason, I see nothing wrong with a writer who has spent years writing a book, having the opportunity to see their work in print - even if they only sell twenty copies.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom on the getting an agent front. I know from having my full MS read by Darley Anderson that it is possible to get agents interested in our work (or perhaps that was just a fluke).

For the moment, I'm still praying for an agent to notice me. I’ve even had my book Bubblecow-ed especially. Ooh, and I must tell you, the lovely editor at Bubblecow cried while reading my book (in a good way...well at least I think it was in a good way).

Currently, my chapters are winging their way to four agents. I'm not excited. I’m expecting absolutely NOTHING. As I know, if all else fails – I WILL SELF PUBLISH.

Ooh, and here's a couple of interesting posts on the subject...

Nathan Bransford - Should you self publish? (Thanks due to Karen for pointing me Nathan's way :-))

The Blood Red Pencil - Self publishing numbers game.