Derek Thompson's Blog, page 22

So You Want to be a Freelance Writer?

Whilst it's undoubtedly true that the world of writing is a competitive one, it can also be a cooperative environment as well. And, while we often play the numbers game and look for a niche to nip into with the fervour of a Saturday shopper in a car park, writers are a community.
I recently heard on the grapevine that Deborah Durbin, a fellow scribe and freelancer, had written a book for those writers looking to plough an independent furrow. She has previously been very generous with her views on the freelancing scene and suggested some doors worth knocking on. It seemed only fair to put her in the hot seat again, to find out more about her latest project and to pick her brains until she yells, "Feinites!"

So, Deborah, you've been a freelance writer for a number of years. What changes in the industry have you noticed since you began, and how have you adapted your approach?   
The most notable change I have seen since first becoming a freelance writer is the advantage of technology. When I first started I would have to research an article in the library, type it up on my electric typewriter (making two copies), send it off to an editor in the hope that they will like it then wait weeks for a reply. These days I can email an idea to a commissioning editor and get a reply within minutes. All my book contracts have been commissioned this way too.

In your new book, So You Want To Be A Freelance Writer, you draw upon your own experience. Which piece of advice or guidance do you wish someone had shared with you at the very beginning of your career?
To keep on trying. Once you’ve studied your market, learned how to present your manuscript and how to approach a commissioning editor, a lot depends on luck. There are many reasons why an editor might not be able to take on your work and it’s really nothing personal.

Does being a successful portfolio writer (non-fiction and fiction) create its own challenges - how do you prioritise your various writing projects?
I love the varied life of being a portfolio writer. My ‘day job’ is as a journalist and I never harboured dreams of being a fiction writer; that just sort of happened. My journalism writing comes first because if an editor is kind enough to commission you for a job, you need to deliver if you want to get more work from them. My novels tend to get written during the school holidays when my daughters are home from school and college and I write them by hand, whilst watching the telly or sunbathing in the garden.

Has the world of writing changed for women, in your opinion, and in which ways?
I personally think that readers don’t care a jot whether a book is written by a man or a woman. It’s the publishers that are the picky ones! Possibly 50 Shades of Grey would not have been such a success if it had been written by a man. The USP for the publishers was that it was written by a woman and a mother. However, when E L James first published her book, readers didn’t know whether it was written by a man or a woman. The same applies to J K Rowling. Possibly if she had written it as Joanne Rowling it wouldn’t have been so successful, but I doubt it. I do think women feel more able to write in different genres nowadays and not be limited to the Mills and Boon style of romance writing. Many women write about crime, horror and sex as well as their male counterparts now and I think this is thanks to publishers accepting that good writing is good writing, regardless of sex, age or race.

Describe a typical writing day.
No two days are the same for me, so a typical day isn’t really typical for me. Once I have done the school run and sent my other two daughters off to college, I always check my emails, Facebook, website and blog and then start work on whatever I’ve been working on the day before. Most mornings I will pitch several ideas to magazine/newspaper editors and carry on working until an email pings back with a yes please or a no thanks. If it’s a yes please, I will pencil it in my diary, along with the deadline, research notes I need to do etc. I occasionally write real life stories, so if I have heard of someone with a good story to tell, I will contact them and an editor to see if I can sort out a deal for them. If I have no journalism deadlines to work on I will work on my novel, but this is usually done away from my desk, in the conservatory or sitting on the sofa watching This Morning.I always go out for lunch because I love people watching and find listening in on other people’s conversations gives me lots of ideas. After lunch I check emails again and work for another hour on whatever I’ve been working on in the morning then I pick my daughter up from school and stay away from my desk until we’ve all had dinner. If I’m working to a tight deadline I will work during the evening, but I always have to have the TV or radio on in my office. I can’t work in silence, it disturbs me.
Are you working on a new book at the moment? Care to give us a hint!
I’m currently working on the third of my Now I Can Hear Dead People series. I hadn’t planned to write a third book in the series, but many readers have emailed me asking when the next book is going to be out. Being a trained journalist I find it much more of a challenge to write fiction, but I do enjoy it and find it’s a bit of escapism, so between deadlines I will be spending much of this year sitting in the conservatory writing that.
What's the strangest thing you've ever written about?
I was once asked to write a feature about cellular memory and interviewed a woman who’d had a heart transplant and was convinced that she had adopted the personality of the man whose heart she had received. It was a fascinating piece to research and really opened my eyes to the possibility of cellular memory.
Where can we find out about your book/s?
All my books are available on Amazon or ordered through books stores such as Waterstones. You can find out more about me at www.deborahdurbin.com or go to my freelance writing blog at http://soyouwanttobeafreelancewriter.blogspot.co.uk/

Deborah Durbin is a journalist, columnist and author. She is also a Member of the Society of Authors and Women in Journalism

A Different Kind of Contract

Do you mind? This is a private conversation.
Whenever someone sits down to read or watch a work of fiction, they are forming a pact with the author. Two, in fact. The first is what is commonly known as 'suspension of disbelief'. That roughly translates as 'I won't question anything you tell me, as long as it makes sense in the context of the story. Time-travel, unicorns, a different end to a war, alien robots that look like chairs? No problem, just as long as you can convince me with your writing.
The second contract is similar to the first and equally unspoken. Ask for my time, dear author, and you better damn well deliver. Sign here in blood, please. I want to be so involved in your fictional world that I miss it, and think about it, days after The End. I want to feel the story, be swept along by the narrative and plot, and see the world through different eyes as a consequence. (Only for a day or so, mind. Any longer than that and we'd all start to worry.) I want believable characters, authentic dialogue, and a plot that surprises and satisfies... Oh, and did I mention originality? I don't care that there are only seven plots - give me something new (and even if it's a sequel, it needs to stand on its own literary feet).
Recently, I watched a film on TV. Not a bad film actually, taken in isolation. However, it was such a breathtakingly blatant rip-off of a previous (and better) film that I'm amazed they weren't sued for plagiarism or prosecuted for making counterfeit goods. I won't name names, but I'll just say it was a thriller, and let's leave it at that.
So today's questions are:
1. How do you ensure that you're not blindly following someone else's trail creative (unconsciously, of course)?
2. When does homage become plagiarism?
Discuss...

Unaccustomed...

Blogging can be many things - cathartic, a discipline, fun (on occasion), a shop window, a means of earning money (yes, really) and a playpen to experiment with ideas and excerpts. However, like dust and the dead flies from our attic, much of blogging exists in a vacuum.

Sure, there's the occasional comment that isn't about viagra, a certain brand of boots or a slew of text in Latin, German or some ideogrammatical language. And it's nice to have interactions with your fellow bloggers.

And who doesn't like the occasional nod from the Universe, via someone else, to say, "Keep writing, dude!" My recent nod was from Monika over at http://motheroad.wordpress.com/ and I thank her for the Liebster Award nomination. 

So, here's the essential blurb - mainly cribbed from Monika's blog.


Liebster Rules
This award is given to new or up-and-coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The award is passed along to other small-time bloggers to help spread the word and support each other as we type away in our little corners of the universe. Here’s the deal:
Each blogger should post 11 random facts about him or herself.Answer the questions the nominator has posed, then create 11 new questions the bloggers you nominate. I know, not exactly free speech, but let's see how it goes.Choose 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to receive a Liebster, then post links to their blogs in your post.Let each nominee know by leaving a comment on his or her blog.No tag backs.***************************************************

11 Random Facts About Me, based on Monika's strange questions
Do you shower every day? No. I adhere to a strict no sweating policy. It also helps that I have an addled sense of smell. Visitors beware.Coffee: black, blond, or not at all? Not all. Coffee, to me, smells like a combination of earth, a burning rubber band, and crap. Seriously.If you could spend a day as the opposite sex, what would you do? Easy, I'd resubmit my novels to agents and publishers, and see whether it made a differenceWhat CD is in your stereo/car stereo right now? (Or you can be like me, and have a car so old that it doesn’t have a CD player. In which case just say what CD you’d listen to if you could.) Tend to listen to the radio, but...in the glove compartment there's are a couple of Kate Rusby CDs and one by The Waterboys.Do you think a woman is less feminine with short hair, or is short hair a sign of smarts, gumption, and not-too-threatening modernity? Believe me, I'm the last person to profess any expertise on the subject of hair (alas). Smart women are always preferable, whatever the hairstyle.Who takes out the trash at your house? That's no way to talk about our cat. Oh, I see what you mean. Probably 57% of the time it's me.Thong underwear: uncomfortable and icky, or sexy-hot? Ah, the minds of Americans... A gentleman never tells. Oh, okay then - I've never tried wearing one. What’s the worst thing that could happen to you tomorrow? (So, you know,  you have tonight to worry about it and/or prevent it. And your answer can’t have any death in it.) Assuming my loved ones are all safe and sound, a hard drive meltdown. Or an accusation of plagiarism. Or amnesia.Beer or wine? Or vodka? Or, like, a piña colada? And where? I'm a simple soul. One glass of cava gets me squiffy for half an hour. I prefer non-alcoholic ginger beer. Pie or cake? What kind? Plain or à la mode? With what accompanying beverage? Peppermint tea and chocolate pie. Or lemon pie and hot chocolate. Doesn't have to round because, as all mathematicians know, sometimes pi r squared.Pick one and share a story: Birth of your child, first time you met your Significant Other, first time riding a bike without training wheels, first kiss, best Fourth of July/Guy Fawkes Day ever, when you knew for sure God exists, or when you became convinced he doesn’t. Oh, good lord. First kiss was when I was five years old. I know so much less about the opposite sex now.

**************************************************
11 Questions for My Nominees (answer some or all):What's the hardest thing you've ever had to write?Where is the place you consider home?If I'd won a gazillion on the lottery, what would you say to convince me to give you a slice of it?Most disappointing book ever?Which law would you change or introduce?Is there a politician (living or deceased) that you admire - and why?What was the most important thing that childhood taught you?What do you wish you'd learned to do when you were younger? Congratulations, you're a time traveller. Where do you travel to?One of your favourite songs of all time?TV programme from childhood that you still think about occasionally.

**************************************************And my nominees are:
Freya Morris - http://freyamorris.blogspot.co.uk/Wendy Soliman - http://wendysoliman.blogspot.co.uk/Brian Keaney - http://odyllicforce.blogspot.co.uk/SnowMoonWolf - http://wolfphotograpy.blogspot.co.uk/

Signs and Wonders

What's a cat gotta do to get noticed?

As a freelancer, I wear two hats – the floppy, creative one and the one that means business. I’m like a dual aspect room, only with headgear.

Similarly, my customers fall into two categories – the ones I know and the ones I don’t. So how do you write for a customer you don’t know? The same way that hedgehogs mate – thoughtfully!
On face value, having both products (existing books and content) and services (writing to order) would seem to suggest different approaches, but it all comes down to the same magical equation: outcome = income. Customers need to know about you – what you do and why they should choose instead of one of your competitors (okay, the pope, once installed, is an exception).
Let’s face it, social media will only take you so far; and sometimes it can all get a bit…well…sociable. Honestly now, how many businesses have you tried purely on the basis of their tweets and likes? Not many, methinks. I’ve bought books thanks to social media, but I’ve never booked a plumber. And how do you reach those customers who don’t sit glued to a screen all day?
Word-of-mouth, it seems to me, only really works when someone has something to talk about, which takes us right back to customers knowing about you in the first place.
The Internet offers a plethora (love that word) of ideas and approaches. Looking into just some of the options has given me food for thought about how I could reach new customers. Although, being lazy (funny how it’s always called energy conservation except when it’s a person…), I simply did one quick web search and found plenty of info at Discount Banner Printing.
In a word: advertising.
Clearly, the possibilities have moved on a bit since Bill Posters faced prosecution. (Remember him?!) At one end of my imaginary scale there’s the noble sandwich board – which, take it from me, is both inedible and tricky to convey on public transport. Alternatively, you could push the boat out and hire a plane to do some skywriting. I did consider it, but I’m very particular about my apostrophes. And money.
More practically, stickers or labels combining text and graphics put the message where it will be seen, either in a static location or on the move. You can also get window clings in vivid colours and detail.
I’m keen to promote my business, but I want results. For instance, I wouldn’t take up roller-skating just to advertise my wares. Given my sense of balance, that outcome would be out cold and inpatient!

I’ll leave you with this well-known, anonymous poem – it speaks for itself.
The codfish lays ten thousand eggs, The homely hen lays one.The codfish never cackles To tell you what she's done.And so we scorn the codfish, While the humble hen we prize, Which only goes to show you That it pays to advertise!

Writers and Plumbers

Why the long face?
 Opinion is divided as to when writers were first associated with, and compared to, plumbers. 
The Greek philosopher, Ubendese, a contemporary of Archimedes, was an early example of a great thinker who could compose soul-searching poetry before noon and still sort out the house drains by teatime. Indeed, it is thought that he inspired Archimedes to combine contemplation with bathtub product testing, resulting in his eureka moment.
Some plumbers, throughout history, have rejected this ‘slur by association’, implying as it does that they might occasionally write fiction when it comes to providing an invoice. One thing is certain – the close affinity of plumbing and writing has lasted down the ages, resulting in the confusion we see today.
Some writers demand to be treated like plumbers, expecting tea and biscuits to be provided as standard. On the other side of the coin, some plumbers want to be recognised for their creativity and allowed time to dream – sometimes even time-and-a-half to dream.
So let’s clear the airlock once and for all.
Similarities between a writer and a plumber They both look for the right angles.They can both use a pencil.They’re both in business and entitled to at least the legal minimum wage.They can both plumb the depths and need to remove blockages.They can both become involved in kitchen sink dramas.They both have pipe dreams and both bleed for their work (albeit with a radiator in one case).They both need to eat.They both endeavour to go with the flow. Differences between a writer and a plumber As far as I know, there are no creative plumbing courses.Plumbers don’t need an agent, a social media presence or a brand.For a plumber, things going down the drain is a positive.You wouldn’t ask a plumber to fix a faulty ballcock, on spec, to raise her profile, or to add to his portfolio. And to solder for warm fuzzies. Plumbers wear a boiler suit. Some writers wear a pot-boiler suit.There is a chronic shortage of qualified plumbers, whereas…It takes between two and five years to become a fully accredited plumber.One leads the vanguard and the other drives a van.
Remember, next time you have a problem with your float valve, don’t bother ringing for a poet – iambic pentameter isn’t going to help you.

ESI

Another successful day's writing.

There are certain songs that feature regularly on my computer playlist. One collection of songs relates to my Brit thriller, Standpoint, as a soundscape - a musical shorthand to evoke a scene or a mood. Fellow writer, Sinclair Macleod - of The Reluctant Detective series - hosted the list here. And there are some songs that are so hauntingly beautiful that I've loved them from the very first time I heard the tracks. It helps, too, if the lyrics convey something meaningful to me.

One such song is Who Knows Where the Time Goes? as recorded by the late Sandy Denny, and also by Kate Rusby (I love both versions) among others. 

Time is a thing of mine. My brother used to call me Johnny Stopwatch, after my habit of not wanting to be anywhere for long. Well, that and my admission that I had an unwritten three-hour rule for being in anyone's company - notable exceptions being him and Anne.

As a writer, time is important. Not only the quantity, but the quality too. Having a precious hour to write and yet not be in the right environment to write can be just as maddening as having no time at all.

Which leads me neatly on to that prince among time thieves: email. 

Where does a writer's time go when it comes to emails? Here's a breakdown of my email inbox for one day. Maybe not a typical day, but certainly a day chosen at random and there are no great surprises here.

Let the mathematics begin...

Subject No. % of total


Twitter 6 12.24% Jokes 1 2.04% Writing forum 11 22.45% Blog related 5 10.20% PPH / LinkedIn / FB / Work 7 14.29% Comedy writing 3 6.12% Other (charity / info / etc) 5 10.20% Publishing related 2 4.08% Coaching / development related 5 10.20% People trying to sell me stuff 4 8.16%


Twitter - new followers and recommendations.
Writing forum - comments and links from fellow writers at Musa Publishing.
People trying to sell me stuff - things I haven't asked for.

A few simple email rules would take the overwhelming majority of those emails straight out of my inbox and into subfolders. Only two things hold me back:
1. What if I missed something urgent?
2. When would I get the time to read them!

How do you manage your emails?

Is that the time? *

I've been meaning to post something, but I've been busy...thinking...
I have a confession to make: I'm doing okay as a writer.
There, I've said it - I feel better. 
That's not classic British underplay and it's based upon my expectations of being a writer (i.e not based upon money or any other external factor that I can't directly control). I'm coming up with new ideas, I'm writing and I'm editing. Most importantly, I'm enjoying the ride for its own sake. I meet other writers, swap experiences and pick up tips. It's all pretty ticketty-boo.
I have ebooks that are finding new readers, I have a self-published paperback that has been well received so far, and most of my writing jobs are about things I actually want to write about. The agents and publishers that I've submitted material to were carefully chosen. The edit of my fourth novel, Scars & Stripes, is progressing steadily.
I used to view the writing arena as a series of league tables (much like the ones you used to get with Shoot magazine). And I saw myself in one of the lower leagues - not quite a Sunday team, but definitely an aspiring amateur side. A few things happened last year to render that view obsolete.
I learned how straightforward it can be to self-publish a novel as both an ebook (I used Kindle Select) and a paperback (I used Lightning Source). Pretty much anyone can do it.
I got a regular feature-writing slot, largely through my portfolio and track record.
I got paid £200 for a short story.
I know: yay me.
My point is that sometimes you realise the struggle is either inside your own head, or not really a struggle at all - because you have no leverage or influence over it. You need to know what to focus on, and I find a useful criterion is whether it's something I can personally change. As my mum used to say, "Eat what you can and what you eat, leave."
Or, as I'd frame it:
"Let go of your construct of yourself and find out who you really are."
*It is if you have our cooker's clock.

Another side to the story

As apples go, I like 'em.I was updating LinkedIn, my resume and all the other New Yeareries (I love new words - they're so lexical!) on my list  today and decided to check my Amazon links. 

To my great delight, I found a review of my mid-grade / YA book, Superhero Club. And it got me thinking about how, without a social media presence, writers are missing out on a valuable opportunity to gain feedback from their readers.

As Robert Burns put it: 
O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!

It's one thing to ask your nearest and dearest or your writing group to give you an opinion, but another entirely to see what the paying public think. And while it is undoubtedly true that many early reviews may be from ardent supporters, over time you should get a range of opinions. 

All the reviews below are independent and there may be others at the same link. Oh, and another point, before I go. It's just as important for writers to own their successes as well as their failures. 

Each link is to the review location.

Superhero Club - Amazon

Over the past few months I've come to the conclusion that some of the better books being written are in the YA category. Either that or I'm entering my dotage. It seems that YA authors are more precise in their definitions and much more up to date and savvy than the authors of some other genres. Well, they'd have to be, huh?

Derek Thompson's Superhero Club is a story about misfits, and pings all the notes a lost YA hears as he struggles with growing up. Okay, some of the ploys are a little obvious to a cynical older person e.g. calling a discussion group The Superhero Club to appeal to the present interest in superheroes, thereby uplifting downhearted YAers to the level of above the norm.

But on the whole, this short novel (just the right length for the YA genre) will have readers of either sex nodding as they recognize personality types and older people's habits as well as classroom behavior.

Congratulations to Derek Thomspon for writing a down-to-earth book that will appeal to its target readers.

The Silent Hills - Amazon.com

I really enjoyed this short story. The author skillfully weaves a tale that, while leaving you wondering what is really happening, captures your attention to such a point that you're at the end before you even realize you turned page two. I loved the old-timey feel that the author paints the story into. The details were so vivid that I actually felt like I was there, right alongside the characters. I absolutely loved the ending...if you want to know what I'm talking about, you'll have to read it for yourself ;)


The Silent Hills - Amazon.co.uk

The Silent Hills is a short story that follows one of my favourite themes - an outsider drawn into a remote, country village and its secrets.

The protagonist, Peter Marlow is thrown into the centre of village politics when he accidentally witnesses a violent scene by the side of a lake. This goes on to shape his relationship with the village and its inhabitants.

The tale has some very sinister moments and although I don't always entirely agree with the characters' actions, Thompson does a great job of conveying the motivations for them.

The cover note, "dedicated to the stranger on the train who shared his secrets" adds a lovely touch, leaving you wondering to what extent the chilling tale is based on a true story.

I've read other work by Derek Thompson, for example his sketch showreel, and I think his writing style lends itself well to writing prose and I hope he will do more of it.

All in all, an intriguing little read, and excellent value for money. I will definitely keep a look out for further titles by this author.

The Silent Hills - Amazon.co.uk

The Silent Hills draws the reader in to its quiet, unassuming and rural setting. Then, Hitchcock-like, it stuns you by the savagery of the central act. This is an excellent, well-written short story, which stimulates all the reader's senses and emotions. A truly thrilling read.

The Silent Hills - Musa website

Just finished this - absolutely wonderful! Glued to the page. I loved the journey and the final destination. Wonderful work! You really do NOT know where it is going; each page is a little nerve-wracking mystery. Stayed up too late to finish it... highly recommended.

Keeping your resolve

Sometimes you can't see the wood for the trees.

Okay, so it's January 2nd and you're still pondering what to put on your list. It has to be inspiring, it has to be encouraging and it would it great if it was actually within your power to do it as well. (Trust me, writing down 'get more will-power' as a resolution doesn't really cut it.)  
So, in honour of The Little Book of Cynics, here's a list of resolutions you might want to avoid - and why.
1. I will spend less time on the web. Let’s see now, you’re reading this on the web and you’ll probably write your resolutions on your blog or tweet them. I’d call that a massive fail at the first hurdle.2. I will get fit. Do you mean the Wii Fit? Or do you mean actually fit, as in going outside the house to visit a gym, running track or field? You could try working your way towards the front door one step at a time. Or why not take advantage of Wifi and venture outdoors. It may take you a while to find the next hotspot. With any luck, that’s a few yards.3. I will eat more healthily. Yeah, of course you will; right after you’ve finished off all the food you over-ordered for Christmas and New Year. Not counting the fruit and veg that went off and died of neglect.4. I will keep up my resolutions. An interesting one, this. Once you’ve produced thespreadsheet, added symbols for the various activities and broken down the tasks into subtasks and milestone dates, you’ll likely have forgotten why you’re doing all this in the first place. Even worse, you’ll claim that all this secondary and distracting activity counts towards the resolutions themselves.5. I will drink less. Now obviously we’re talking happy juice here (or sad juice, depending on how you’re fixed). If cutting back on alcohol is as simple as writing it down on a list that you’ll probably make while inebriated, you’d have done that LAST year. And if you’re already using the resolution list as a coaster because you don’t want to get lager on the tablecloth, consider that a humungous fail. 6. I will be kinder to my fellow man and woman. Maybe you’ll really try for a couple of days, in between stuffing your face with fats and calories or drinking yourself into the next dimension (it’s a blurred one). Maybe you’ll smile at passers-by as you jog to the next Wi-Fi spot, your palm top wizardry bleeping merrily as you get reconnected. But, statistically speaking, you’re more likely to get irate with the stress of trying to be good and lose it in the shopping mall. Which brings us neatly on to….7. I will spend less money on things I don’t need. Like resolutions, maybe? Or unachievable goals? Or unrealistic attempts at seasonal behavioral modification?Happy New Year anyway - and don't be a stranger!

Traditionally...

It's about now that every writer worth their sodium chloride goes back through the year that was and summarises their spreadsheet for all to see. (What? You don't have a spreadsheet?) I'm not going to do that this time - oh sure, I'd love to wax lyrical about the highs and lows and in-betweens, as it's been a pretty good year for me, but...I'd like to do something else.
Instead, I want to talk about some of the life lessons you're faced with as a writer.

The writing process takes place in isolation. No matter how many tweets I share (when I'm not selling, promoting someone else or entertaining myself), no matter the intrinsic value of writing groups and no matter the benefits of online feedback, it all comes down to a full head and a blank page and no distractions please. Sometimes the words flow like honey and other times they're as stodgy as a water sandwich. Either way, if your goal is a completed piece you'll stay the course. The end may not always justify the means, but it's the reason we stay as keen as mustard.

You have to be your own writer. Take heart from other people's triumphs and a sense of gratitude when you're not the one who chokes on the page or gets a Parcelforce delivery of rejections, but keep true to your own work. You are going to hear about amazing successes around you and that's truly a good thing. Other people are doing it their way (you can read about some of them elsewhere on this blogsite) and sometimes it's working out for them. You need to keep that in mind and be true to your characters and plots.

Continue to learn and develop, though, whether that's through books, courses, other people or the feedback on your own work. There are no guarantees, no magic formulas (I know, but I prefer writing it this way) and no all-seeing judge of what is and is not literature. If you don;t like someone else's work, just don;t buy it. Don't waste your time sulking or bad-mouthing another writer - they have been through the same process as you - turning up, filling the pages and doing their best to make the best of them.

Respect your writing time. Don't let it be snaffled away by social media, 'come and join us' invitations, creative collaborative projects or artsy endeavours. Or, if you do, remind yourself that you're choosing to do it (that way you won't get so pissed off about it later on).

Writers are just people with a pen. Everyday people with their foibles. Some will support your work, offer time and experience. Others will want to shoot you down in flames for daring to call yourself a writer. And even for the decent ones, their time is finite too, so try to understand if, unlike the good folk in Friends, they're suddenly not there for you. Don't get too attached to the status quo - it can prevent you from seeing new opportunities.

Let your writing take you on an adventure as well as the reader. I started out wanting to write a novel and enjoyed penning a gag or two. Those first steps have led me to amazing opportunities (some wondrously paid) and fabulous people. Long may it continue and long may the turns of the trail surprise me. And thanks again for the business!

Have the courage to commit to goals. In my experience, goals help you focus on what's important to you. And even if you don't get to the finishing line - which is usually down to not being clear on your own priorities, motivations and level of influence on the matter - you'll still have moved forward in one direction. And hopefully learned something valuable too.

It isn't all about money. Or readers. Or likes. Or followers. Or comments. Or reviews. They all help to keep the fires of belief and aspiration going, but none of that changes the quality of your writing. And writers write. Whatever else they're doing or not doing, they write. Otherwise they may as well turn in their pens (and I can always use a good spare pen).

And finally, dear blog reading chums from the other side of the glass, step back regularly. Sure, your book matters. And yes, it hurts when no one sends you a contract or buys your book or even lies your 19th draft. But there's a whole world out there filled with inspiration and challenge and enough conflict to fill a fiction workshop. Don't let your obsession to be a writer prevent you from engaging with life. 

And don't take any crap!

There, I've said my piece. Now I can get back to writing about chickens and planning a new novel. Thanks for popping over this past year and thanks to those of you who, knowingly or otherwise, have contributed to the development my writing and my character.