This blog post is just for fun! I asked six other writers to name a song which got them in the creative mood and to tell me why. These are their responses... A big 'thank-you' to everyone who responded.
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Do's |
Don'ts |
If you ignore everything else, do this. Read, discuss and read some more. There is plenty of information available on the internet (CreateSpace, KDP, blogs, YouTube etc), in magazines, in books (e-books are a cheap option). How much of it can you/do you want to do yourself? There are companies offering everything from a full package to a simple proofread. Will you create your own cover? Format the book yourself? Obviously the more you spend on production the more books you have to sell to cover your costs. But a poor cover or errors in the text will hurt sales. It’s about balance. If you are not tech savvy and are using Amazon (there are other providers out there), use the Word template and Cover Creator tool available in CreateSpace. |
Ideally seek a recommendation from someone you trust. There are still people out there who will take your money and give you very little in return. |
(like me!)· Think carefully about your reasons for self-publishing. If it is because your work has been rejected by agents and publishers, think hard about why it was rejected. Was it because it is not yet ready or because they do not believe it is marketable? Whatever the reason, try to understand it and think about how it will affect your self-published book. Certain types of books are more likely to be successful than others. If, for example, you are producing genre fiction with a recurring main character and you can produce good quality novels on a regular basis then you have a better chance of selling your books than someone writing a one-off collection of short stories (like me!), for example. |
· Set your expectations too high. This isn’t the same as setting your standards high. Aim for a finished product which is as close to a traditionally published book as possible. But don’t expect too much sales-wise. Only a few make money out of self-publishing. Though that’s not to say yours won’t be one of those success stories we all love to read about. |
· Give yourself plenty of time. A couple of months, at least. Once you have been through the process you will probably be able to format and publish in an afternoon but for that first time, give yourself plenty of opportunity for checks and rechecks. There WILL be glitches! |
· Use a cover design which screams ‘self-published’. Either work out how to do it yourself using image manipulation software and professional images (which you will probably have to purchase – take a look at Shutterstock and istock) or pay someone to do it. And use a proper font. One that shows up clearly against the background and can be read when your image is reduced to thumbnail size. Take a look at the Font Squirrel website. |
· Make sure you don’t infringe someone else’s copyright. You won’t have the safety net of an agent or publisher to give your book the once over from a legal perspective so either make sure you are crystal clear on the law or play it safe. In particular, don’t use song lyrics or images unless you are sure that you are entitled to. |
· Sit back and wait for the sales to roll in. They won’t. If you are serious about this then you will have to do the leg-work. This means an on-line presence, perhaps regular blog-posts, appearing in local press, soliciting reviews, conducting readings at schools, writing groups etc. Ideally have an online presence built up before you launch your book. But don’t ignore the power of local media and personal appearances and events. Obviously a cost/benefit analysis needs to be done and the more books you have to promote the more you will get back from each investment of time or money. And you need to do all of this whilst writing the next book! |
· Reward yourself for each success, however small! Be it a compliment from a reader or a sale. Celebrate steps forward and don’t dwell on set-backs unless you can learn something from them. |
· Give up. Ever. Full stop. If it is what you love then go for it. Your passion will come across and inspire others. And you never know, you might be the next Kindle bestseller! |
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Training Course: How to Write a Novel - Redrafting by Susan Elliot Wright and Russell Thomas
23/6/2016
I can't remember where I first heard about the courses they run but I know that a number of things caught my eye: (1) the day courses are run on a Saturday which meant that I could attend (woo hoo!), (2) the subject of the training was 'the novel', (3) the price (£40 for the day) was affordable and (4) it was in Sheffield so I could actually get there. On paper, it ticked all the boxes, although I did not recognise the names of the tutors.
I have now attended three of the courses: Structuring and also Redrafting (1) and (2) and I can say that they really are excellent. The groups tend to be fairly small (8-12) which means that the atmosphere is friendly and intimate and that there is time for everyone to ask questions and be given personal feedback without boring the other attendees. In fact listening to the work of other people and hearing and contributing to the feedback came to be one of my favourite parts of each day. I'm not generally a fan of groups as I have so little time available for writing that I like to get on with my own work every second I can but these courses have shown me that, if they are run correctly and the feedback time is controlled (not always an easy thing to do), that it can be a valuable part of my learning and development.
Each of the courses has been cleverly put together so that the 'teaching' isn't just Susan and Russ talking at you. They stimulate discussion and provide writing exercises which directly relate to your own work in progress which means that you are actually advancing your own work during the course. The exercises are adaptable so that they fit into whatever stage you are at with your writing and it is also made clear that you do not have to do an exercise if you do not feel it will help in light of where you are up to with your novel. There are so many ideas discussed that you will always find something to work on during these times. Although I didn't take mine, laptops are welcome and used by many.
Susan and Russ run a number of workshops, on Saturdays and some evening classes. A list can be found HERE.
Susan's books (as e-books) are currently available on Amazon for 99p and £1.99 respectively during June. Click HERE and HERE.
If you live nearby it would mean the world to me if you could take a look, maybe check it out and have a read - even if you don't get all the way through. Each story can be read in 10-20 minutes. It has taken years of work to get this far and it would be a shame if no-one ever borrowed it! It's unlikely to be plucked off the shelf at random (can you spot it in the picture above?!). If you do read it, reviews on Amazon are always appreciated. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, here is the blurb:
’In the darkness the harbinger sings, of death, destruction, the end of all things.’ An injured soldier crosses a moor in the midst of a storm, a man chases an elusive woman through the streets of York, four children play in an abandoned house on a crumbling cliff top... Containing eight chilling stories of love, despair, loneliness and redemption, Into Dust is a collection of supernatural tales which will have you lighting a fire, reaching for a drink and, of course, locking your door.
1 Buy a copy of Writing Magazine or Writers' Forum. They are jam packed with motivational pieces and how-to articles plus the author interviews and reader success stories really enthuse me.
2 Go over old stories which haven't yet found a home (we all have them, surely?). Spend a little time re-reading them and see if you can send them off somewhere new. I find that simply revisiting some of my old work gets me going again and gives me the confidence to begin a new project. Entering competitions is also exciting, can generate a little cash and is a great boost for morale if you win or get placed. I still always pay for feedback where it is available as a fresh pair of eyes can often be exactly what I need to see my way forward. I took a break from competitions for a couple of years but have just submitted to three in the past month. I had forgotten how fun it is and I can't wait for the results. Fingers crossed!!
3 Read. Since beginning to write I read differently, noticing things such as structure, point of view, plot threads etc as well as general sentence construction. It spoiled reading for me for a while but now I have learned to enjoy it again by dampening that part of my brain enough to enjoy the story foremost but still absorb useful tips. Also, I find just reading for pleasure without any conscious analysis to be just as good on the whole as it energizes me and gets ideas flowing.
4 Go on a course. This is obviously more for those who are struggling with inspiration/technique rather than time. They can be costly but I have found a number of local courses which cost around £40 for a day of relaxed teaching and discussion with a group of like-minded people. I try and attend a few each year. It's a great way of injecting energy into a project and of gently moving your skills forward without a huge commitment in terms of time and money. If you are in Yorkshire I recommend the courses run by Susan Elliot Wright and Russell Thomas - http://www.susanelliotwright.co.uk/p/workshops.html .
5 Browse through a non-fiction book or magazine. Great for idea generation and when you have an idea you have impetus.
6 Keep in touch with writerly friends whether they be people you see or people you have met on Facebook or Twitter. There are some great communities out there and I have found lovely, supportive people on Twitter. When I am not able to write I enjoy following their progress, reading their blogs and offering words of encouragement. Their endeavour and success spurs me on as I hope mine does in return.
7 Use shower time, walking the dog time, feeding the baby time as thinking time. This is probably second nature to us all but just keeping your mind in the groove even if you can't get to a keyboard for any length of time will help keep the creative part of your mind happy. Always write those ideas down, though. I came up with a great line of prose which could have been the start of a new story but I was watching the television and didn't commit it to paper. By the time the adverts came I had forgotten everything except for the fact that I'd had a good idea which I couldn't recall. Very frustrating.
8 Attend an author event or literary festival. It all helps to keep you in the writer's frame of mind.
Of course, don't let any of these things actually get in the way of your writing. Some people can move their projects forward whenever they can snatch a free minute, others prefer to wait until they can put aside a block of time. Most of us, I suspect, fall somewhere in between. I'd love to know which you are and whether you agree with the above points or perhaps have some others of your own.
Happy writing x
First Up: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
I loved this book. I found it to be immensely readable, clever and superbly written. The characters were well drawn and vivid and the story just complicated enough to keep me guessing without losing me along the way. The tone of the writing and the atmosphere of the story was particularly impressive, managing to be both up-to-date and slightly reminiscent of the old-fashioned gumshoe novels of the 1920's and 30's. These components are skillfully combined to produce an immersive and thoroughly entertaining high-quality read. There is a fair amount of swearing in the dialogue which isn't something that I always particularly enjoy but in this case I believe that it was largely necessary to add authenticity to the character and I did not find it gratuitous or offensive. I should also mention that the emphasis of the plot is on the 'whodunnit' and the characters involved rather than blood and guts. It is not a graphic serial-killer type of book which suited me just fine. (It's more Ian Rankin than James Patterson).
If you enjoy crime fiction this is a must-read.
Next: The Silkworm, also by Robert Galbraith
In terms of character, plot development and atmosphere, I found this book to be just as good as the first in the series. The writer really does have a wonderful ability to bring the people on the page to life and to pull the reader into a vividly-drawn world. The plot is satisfying, with plenty of suspects and motives and is expertly drawn together. Again I found myself eager to get back to reading whenever I had to break away, resorting to carrying the book around the house with me to grab an extra few minutes here and there. I have to say, though, that the subject matter of this second book is much darker than the first and unpleasant/uncomfortable and just downright weird in places. But I like a little bit of weird now and again so it was not a problem for me.
I haven't read the third book yet but I am very much looking forward to it. This is now one of my favourite series of books and I hope she writes plenty more of the same quality.
And Finally: The Falls by Ian Rankin
The plot centres around a missing student who arranges to meet a group of friends for a drink but doesn't show up. Rebus, as grouchy and flawed yet as loveable as always, investigates with his usual obsessiveness and disregard for the rules. The hunt for the missing girl brings him into contact with old friends and acquaintances and takes him down rabbit holes that no-one else is interested in. Meanwhile Siobhan (his usual sidekick) is pursuing her own angle, employing some of the tricks she has picked up from her boss.
The book follows different strands to the investigation leaving the reader uncertain as to which will lead to a dead end (no pun intended) and which will lead the team to the solution. It is a complex web of mystery and suspense against the backdrop of the sights and sounds of modern Edinburgh. I always find Rankin's books hugely satisfying and this one was among the best I have read, leaving me in awe at the talent required to pen such a tale.
Bernadette Keeling
I love most types of fiction - crime, mystery, fantasy. Oh, and historical fiction of course and middle-grade books and, well, you get the picture.
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