Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 60
December 12, 2020
What started with a badly parked car….
What started with a badly parked car turned into something amazing. Yesterday, my husband woke to find a car blocking our driveway so he had trouble going to work. It meant he had to drive over the grass and down our next door neighbour’s driveway. All day the car remained blocking our driveway as the road cleared of cars. By the end of the day, with no sign of the car being moved and after asking around I decided to post a message on to our village Facebook asking the owner of the car to remove it.
I was polite and didn’t post a photo or the number plate, just the colour and description of a distinct feature that the owner would know. I knew the owner must live in my road. A couple of people commented, but soon the owner answered. The garage had dropped the car off after fixing it, while she was at work and put the key through her door. She knew her car was parked in the street but not that it had been parked blocking someone’s driveway.
This morning she arrived at my door to apologise. I told her if I had known it was her car, I would have knocked at her door and not put it up on the village FB page. Her Facebook profile told me she worked in our village library, so I took the opportunity to ask her how I went about putting my books in the library.
Bianca explained that if I was willing to donate copies of my books, they would have to be sent to the Essex Library headquarters to make sure the books are suitable if self-published. I explained that none of my books were self-published. She continued that the books would still have to be assessed and given a barcode. Once the books are accepted she would then put a label in the books to say they are the property of Silver End Library. After Christmas Bianca is going to start the ball rolling.
You have no idea how exciting this news is to me. As a child libraries have always been a place of wonder and excitement for me. Never in a million years would I expect to see a book written by me in such a place, let alone three. 2020 has been an amazing year for my writing. I’m just sad that it has been such a terrible year for so many.
Bianca is going to put up a display once my books have been accepted and photographed them, so keep an eye out. Of course I shall being sharing the news with you. Look out 2021, things will be bigger and better.
All my books are available online from Amazon and other online stores too. Please click on these links below to find out more about them.
Book Launch Chat: Ann Victoria Roberts
Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.
Today we’re here to help launch Ann Victoria’s book: Housewife Writes A Bestseller. Welcome back back Ann.
Lovely to be back, Paula and excited at the launch of my book too. This champagne is excellent.
We try to do our best to please. Let’s start by asking you do you want each of your books to stand alone, or are you building a body of work that are interconnected? Whether that be a theme, a set of characters, a setting, etc. Explain more for our readers.
I’ve always written novels that are different from each other. Even my second one, the dual-time novel, ‘Liam’s Story’, is written to stand alone, despite being a sequel to ‘Louisa Elliott’.
Each of my six novels came about through odd events or sudden moments of inspiration that fired me up and made me want to get the story down. But they all have common themes. Rather than simple romance, the stories focus on the different aspects of love, and the way past events continue to affect our lives.
This new book is a memoir, but it focuses on my life in the 1980s, when for five years, my sea-captain husband was away on six-month voyages. Luckily, that was when I began I working on my first published novel, and the writing kept me focused when real life was difficult. ‘Housewife Writes Bestseller – a Tale of Life & Luck’, includes many of the odd coincidences that brought the books into being, but it also explains why I’ve written just six novels in thirty years!
Do you hope your book will deliver you literary success and how will this look to you?
Well, Paula, I could say, ‘Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt!’ But seriously, it’s far tougher than anyone could imagine. And when you start at the top, inevitably, the only way forward is down. And yet the pressure to keep performing to that standard is immense.
When it happened to me in 1989, I was a complete newbie. Literally, the suburban housewife thrust into the limelight, not knowing where she was, who she was, or what was expected. I was overwhelmed – the craziest things were happening, while all the time I was trying to pretend it was ‘normal’ and struggling to keep my feet on the ground. Luckily, the publishing professionals took care of me, but to be honest, I couldn’t wait for the furore to die down, so I could get back to the writing!
But in sharing the story of how the two Elliott books came about, I would like this memoir to intrigue people. After all, the strange events and coincidences went on for nine years, and even attracted the attention of the journalist and TV presenter, Brian Inglis. He referred to my experiences in his book, ‘Coincidence – a Matter of Chance or Synchronicity?’.
Ann Victoria Roberts
How will you cope with bad reviews on this book?
Well, I have had some poor reviews in the past, so depending on the words used, I’ll probably be confused at first – even hurt or annoyed. But then I’ll pull myself together and look at the positive comments. And then I’ll tell myself that we all have different tastes, and not everything appeals to everyone. And, if necessary, I’ll remind myself of what I say to the nasties of this world – ‘Have you so little in your life, that all you can do is put someone else down?’
How long did you spend researching this book’s subject matter, or was it a book you had already planned?
It began life as a series of blogs on my website – originally written several years ago, around the time I republished ‘Louisa’ and ‘Liam’ independently. Between subsequent novels, I’d expanded it into a memoir, covering much more than was really necessary. Until last year, it was just sitting there, doing nothing. But then, out of the blue, I was invited to speak to a group of fans in York, about the two Elliott novels – both of which feature the city.
I told the story of the background to these books, and the research which had taken me from York to Australia and the battlefields of WW1, all the while accompanied by these odd connections and coincidences. Afterwards, the organiser said privately that he wished I would publish this, because it was worth a wider audience – and that set me thinking. I went back to the memoir, put my editor’s hat on, and set about pulling the memoir into shape.
Was there anything you edited out of this book, you wanted to keep in, but you knew it would be a better book by cutting it?
Luckily, time and distance had given me a clearer view – anything that wasn’t relevant ended up on the cutting room floor. But yes, there was a section towards the end that caused me a lot of heartache. Should I include the full story or not? Ultimately, I decided not to dwell on what happened in the wake of my third novel, but I have referred to it, and I’m sure readers will get the message. I didn’t want to spoil what I hope is a positive and uplifting story.
Did you feel energised or exhausted after writing this book?
With this book, I was simply pleased to have completed what has been an on-off project for a long time. Getting it ready for publication has been the most difficult part, largely due to the photos, but that’s another story!
In the past I’ve written historical novels which have involved a lot of time and research, and even more emotion in the writing. At the end of each one I’ve felt like a lost soul, convinced it was all a waste of time, and wondering why I even bothered. But I think this is largely due to exhaustion – and the huge drop in adrenaline after the excitement of reaching ‘The End.’
Working on the memoir during lockdown, I kept thinking of all the positive things in my life, and that helped a lot. I wanted to record what it means to be a writer – not just for my family and book fans, but for other struggling writers too. I hope they’ll find a few tips along the way, recognise similarities in their own lives, and take heart.
What’s the one thing you would give up to become a better writer?
Nothing. Writers all have to learn to make time for themselves – just as anyone going out to work must do. As Stephen King says, it’s a job, and being there, doing it, is the first lesson. But as my wonderful editor at Chatto & Windus used to say thirty years ago – don’t forget to live. It’s in living that we learn about people, places, and life itself. And without some basis in reality, how can a writer’s imagination flourish?
Thank you so much for joining me today, Ann. I hope everything goes well with your launch. If you would like to find out more about Ann’s books check out the links below.
https://www.facebook.com/AnnVictoriaRoberts#
If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.
December 11, 2020
Do you listen to music while writing?
I have a mixture of classical, New Age, film tracks, pan pipes all mainly instrumental as tracks with words has me singing along. I need background music as I suffer from tinnitus which can drive me nuts at times. I miss the peacefulness of silence.
Please check out Transformations. I was lucky enough to have all three of my stories selected when I entered the Waterloo Festival Writing Competition the three years it was running. I also have a story in this year’s Bridge House Anthology Mulling It Over. Bridge House submissions is now opening for next year anthology so I’ve been working on my story for that collection too. I’ve written over seven hundred words so far for a 4K story. The deadline is the end of February so I’m now back focusing on my fourth book, Seeking the Dark
The novel I’m editing was originally written in 2005. It has been through many rewrites, edits and has been submitted to quite a few publishers in its lifetime going by the rejections letters I have. Of course, I wasn’t put off by them as I knew my writing ability wasn’t up to scratch. I never gave up on the story, I just knew I hadn’t the skills needed at that time to tell Amanita’s tale properly.
Over the years I’ve been building my writer’s CV ready for the time I wrote a novel that would be published. Having a backlog of published works gave me confidence as well as showing publishers I was serious about writing. All established authors have written short stories as they give you a break between writing longer pieces of work. I enjoy have short stories out in the big wide world while working on a novel as it keeps you focused and gives you a real buzz when you receive news of an acceptance.
Right, must get back to the editing. Have a great weekend all.
Hunted out the reviews I had on Seeking the Dark over the years Do you listen to music while writing?
I have a mixture of classical, New Age, film tracks, pan pipes all mainly instrumental as tracks with words has me singing along. I need background music as I suffer from tinnitus which can drive me nuts at times. I miss the peacefulness of silence.
Please check out Transformations. I was lucky enough to have all three of my stories selected when I entered the Waterloo Festival Writing Competition the three years it was running. I also have a story in this year’s Bridge House Anthology Mulling It Over. Bridge House submissions is now opening for next year anthology so I’ve been working on my story for that collection too. I’ve written over seven hundred words so far for a 4K story. The deadline is the end of February so I’m now back focusing on my fourth book, Seeking the Dark
The novel I’m editing was originally written in 2005. It has been through many rewrites, edits and has been submitted to quite a few publishers in its lifetime going by the rejections letters I have. Of course, I wasn’t put off by them as I knew my writing ability wasn’t up to scratch. I never gave up on the story, I just knew I hadn’t the skills needed at that time to tell Amanita’s tale properly.
Over the years I’ve been building my writer’s CV ready for the time I wrote a novel that would be published. Having a backlog of published works gave me confidence as well as showing publishers I was serious about writing. All established authors have written short stories as they give you a break between writing longer pieces of work. I enjoy have short stories out in the big wide world while working on a novel as it keeps you focused and gives you a real buzz when you receive news of an acceptance.
Right, must get back to the editing. Have a great weekend all.
Hunted out the reviews I had on Seeking the Dark over the years Do you listen to music while writing?
I have a mixture of classical, New Age, film tracks, pan pipes all mainly instrumental as tracks with words has me singing along. I need background music as I suffer from tinnitus which can drive me nuts at times. I miss the peacefulness of silence.
Please check out Transformations. I was lucky enough to have all three of my stories selected when I entered the Waterloo Festival Writing Competition the three years it was running. I also have a story in this year’s Bridge House Anthology Mulling It Over. Bridge House submissions is now opening for next year anthology so I’ve been working on my story for that collection too. I’ve written over seven hundred words so far for a 4K story. The deadline is the end of February so I’m now back focusing on my fourth book, Seeking the Dark
The novel I’m editing was originally written in 2005. It has been through many rewrites, edits and has been submitted to quite a few publishers in its lifetime going by the rejections letters I have. Of course, I wasn’t put off by them as I knew my writing ability wasn’t up to scratch. I never gave up on the story, I just knew I hadn’t the skills needed at that time to tell Amanita’s tale properly.
Over the years I’ve been building my writer’s CV ready for the time I wrote a novel that would be published. Having a backlog of published works gave me confidence as well as showing publishers I was serious about writing. All established authors have written short stories as they give you a break between writing longer pieces of work. I enjoy have short stories out in the big wide world while working on a novel as it keeps you focused and gives you a real buzz when you receive news of an acceptance.
Right, must get back to the editing. Have a great weekend all.
Hunted out the reviews I had on Seeking the Dark over the years Do you listen to music while writing?
I have a mixture of classical, New Age, film tracks, pan pipes all mainly instrumental as tracks with words has me singing along. I need background music as I suffer from tinnitus which can drive me nuts at times. I miss the peacefulness of silence.
Please check out Transformations. I was lucky enough to have all three of my stories selected when I entered the Waterloo Festival Writing Competition the three years it was running. I also have a story in this year’s Bridge House Anthology Mulling It Over. Bridge House submissions is now opening for next year anthology so I’ve been working on my story for that collection too. I’ve written over seven hundred words so far for a 4K story. The deadline is the end of February so I’m now back focusing on my fourth book, Seeking the Dark
The novel I’m editing was originally written in 2005. It has been through many rewrites, edits and has been submitted to quite a few publishers in its lifetime going by the rejections letters I have. Of course, I wasn’t put off by them as I knew my writing ability wasn’t up to scratch. I never gave up on the story, I just knew I hadn’t the skills needed at that time to tell Amanita’s tale properly.
Over the years I’ve been building my writer’s CV ready for the time I wrote a novel that would be published. Having a backlog of published works gave me confidence as well as showing publishers I was serious about writing. All established authors have written short stories as they give you a break between writing longer pieces of work. I enjoy have short stories out in the big wide world while working on a novel as it keeps you focused and gives you a real buzz when you receive news of an acceptance.
Right, must get back to the editing. Have a great weekend all.
Hunted out the reviews I had on Seeking the Dark over the years Do you listen to music while writing?
I have a mixture of classical, New Age, film tracks, pan pipes all mainly instrumental as tracks with words has me singing along. I need background music as I suffer from tinnitus which can drive me nuts at times. I miss the peacefulness of silence.
Please check out Transformations. I was lucky enough to have all three of my stories selected when I entered the Waterloo Festival Writing Competition the three years it was running. I also have a story in this year’s Bridge House Anthology Mulling It Over. Bridge House submissions is now opening for next year anthology so I’ve been working on my story for that collection too. I’ve written over seven hundred words so far for a 4K story. The deadline is the end of February so I’m now back focusing on my fourth book, Seeking the Dark
The novel I’m editing was originally written in 2005. It has been through many rewrites, edits and has been submitted to quite a few publishers in its lifetime going by the rejections letters I have. Of course, I wasn’t put off by them as I knew my writing ability wasn’t up to scratch. I never gave up on the story, I just knew I hadn’t the skills needed at that time to tell Amanita’s tale properly.
Over the years I’ve been building my writer’s CV ready for the time I wrote a novel that would be published. Having a backlog of published works gave me confidence as well as showing publishers I was serious about writing. All established authors have written short stories as they give you a break between writing longer pieces of work. I enjoy have short stories out in the big wide world while working on a novel as it keeps you focused and gives you a real buzz when you receive news of an acceptance.
Right, must get back to the editing. Have a great weekend all.
Hunted out the reviews I had on Seeking the Dark over the years Do you listen to music while writing?
I have a mixture of classical, New Age, film tracks, pan pipes all mainly instrumental as tracks with words has me singing along. I need background music as I suffer from tinnitus which can drive me nuts at times. I miss the peacefulness of silence.
Please check out Transformations. I was lucky enough to have all three of my stories selected when I entered the Waterloo Festival Writing Competition the three years it was running. I also have a story in this year’s Bridge House Anthology Mulling It Over. Bridge House submissions is now opening for next year anthology so I’ve been working on my story for that collection too. I’ve written over seven hundred words so far for a 4K story. The deadline is the end of February so I’m now back focusing on my fourth book, Seeking the Dark
The novel I’m editing was originally written in 2005. It has been through many rewrites, edits and has been submitted to quite a few publishers in its lifetime going by the rejections letters I have. Of course, I wasn’t put off by them as I knew my writing ability wasn’t up to scratch. I never gave up on the story, I just knew I hadn’t the skills needed at that time to tell Amanita’s tale properly.
Over the years I’ve been building my writer’s CV ready for the time I wrote a novel that would be published. Having a backlog of published works gave me confidence as well as showing publishers I was serious about writing. All established authors have written short stories as they give you a break between writing longer pieces of work. I enjoy have short stories out in the big wide world while working on a novel as it keeps you focused and gives you a real buzz when you receive news of an acceptance.
Right, must get back to the editing. Have a great weekend all.
Hunted out the reviews I had on Seeking the Dark over the years Do you listen to music while writing?
I have a mixture of classical, New Age, film tracks, pan pipes all mainly instrumental as tracks with words has me singing along. I need background music as I suffer from tinnitus which can drive me nuts at times. I miss the peacefulness of silence.
Please check out Transformations. I was lucky enough to have all three of my stories selected when I entered the Waterloo Festival Writing Competition the three years it was running. I also have a story in this year’s Bridge House Anthology Mulling It Over. Bridge House submissions is now opening for next year anthology so I’ve been working on my story for that collection too. I’ve written over seven hundred words so far for a 4K story. The deadline is the end of February so I’m now back focusing on my fourth book, Seeking the Dark
The novel I’m editing was originally written in 2005. It has been through many rewrites, edits and has been submitted to quite a few publishers in its lifetime going by the rejections letters I have. Of course, I wasn’t put off by them as I knew my writing ability wasn’t up to scratch. I never gave up on the story, I just knew I hadn’t the skills needed at that time to tell Amanita’s tale properly.
Over the years I’ve been building my writer’s CV ready for the time I wrote a novel that would be published. Having a backlog of published works gave me confidence as well as showing publishers I was serious about writing. All established authors have written short stories as they give you a break between writing longer pieces of work. I enjoy have short stories out in the big wide world while working on a novel as it keeps you focused and gives you a real buzz when you receive news of an acceptance.
Right, must get back to the editing. Have a great weekend all.
Hunted out the reviews I had on Seeking the Dark over the years December 10, 2020
Clubhouse Guest’s Chat: Umair Mirxa
Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sort of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.
Today in the tearoom I’m talking to Umair. Umair Mirxa lives and writes in Karachi, Pakistan. He is the Creator/Editor-in-Chief of Paper Djinn Press, and has had his stories accepted for publication in several international anthologies. He is a massive J.R.R. Tolkien fan, loves everything to do with mythology, fantasy, and history, and wishes with all his heart that dragons were real. When he’s not writing, he enjoys reading novels and comic books, playing video games, listening to music, and watching movies, TV shows, and football as an Arsenal FC fan. Welcome Umair. Let’s order our drinks first. What would you like to drink?
Thank you for inviting me, Paula to the clubhouse tearoom. It’s quite the journey, getting here. Especially during winter. I think I could shake off the cold and be ready for a chat if I could have a cup of strong, black coffee without sugar, please.
Now we have our refreshments let me ask you when you first begun your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?
For me, I think, it was the other way around. Of all the stories and books I read early in my life, if I hadn’t discovered the fantasy genre, I might not be an author today. I write, more than anything else, because I was fortunate enough to read the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The elements involved in fantasy writing – all the characters and creatures, the epic adventures, and entire worlds sprung from an author’s imagination – are still as astounding and awe-inspiring to me as they were when I first stumbled upon them.
Consider dragons, right? To me, they are the greatest product of the human imagination, right up there with the written word itself. Where most people marvel at scientific/technological innovation and advancement, and all the “progress” humanity has made, I remain forever in awe of what the ancients accomplished: the stories and ideas in such mythologies as the Egyptian, Greek, Persian, and Norse. So, I’ll write a bit of everything now and then, from sci-fi and horror to crime and romance, if I fancy a particular anthology/submission call but my first and greatest love will always be the fantasy genre.
Tell us a little about latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?
I work on several projects all at once, so if I’m stuck on one [which happens rather more frequently than I like to admit], I can always switch to another, and hopefully [ideally] make steady overall progress. The latest project, I guess, is a coming-of-age story about two people who begin on separate but somewhat parallel paths, even as circumstance conspires to bring them together for a series of shared adventures. It’s not really a new idea but fairly recent compared to some of the other projects I’ve been working on for years now.
How many unfinished projects do you have on your computer?
Oh, I have lost count, haven’t I? Let’s see. There’s my magnum opus, of course. I have a sci-fi/fantasy space soap opera. There’s the one with the vampires. The coming-of-age story I already mentioned. A pre-historic family saga. The alternative-history Viking account as defined by magic and fantasy. And there are always a few short stories here and there, some of which I manage to finish and submit just before the deadline expires.
Umair Mirxa
Do you write a synopsis first or write the first chapter? If you only write short stories, do you plan your story or let the characters lead you?
A bit of both, really. It is extremely rare for me to know how my stories are going to end when I begin writing them. I have a few projects for which I wrote an entire synopsis first but never for a short story. At other times, a random thought or a song lyric or a piece of dialogue will spark an idea, and I’ll write down a scene which spawns an entire story.
One day, I woke to the line, ‘Balthazar had never really been attracted to redheads’, playing on my mind like a half-forgotten song. The next day, it had transformed into a flash fiction story eventually published in an anthology, and then a magazine. Today, it is a novella near completion, which I hope to publish soon.
Were any of your characters inspired by real people?
Several, I think. Most often, it’s a deliberate choice but it has happened subconsciously too. I’ll give my characters traits and habits I’ve observed in the people around me, and on occasion, one character will turn up too similar to a specific, real individual. Of course, I have characters modelled entirely after real people too. A few of my closest friends have insisted on making appearances in my epic fantasy story, and I’ve obliged by giving them the coolest characters I could imagine.
What did you learn when writing your book? In writing it, how much research did you do?
More things than I could ever have dreamed of learning. I have studied mythology, history, geography, physics, law, politics, art, and music, and so much more – all in the name of research, and so I could create a credible fantasy world. I’ve read books and watched documentaries on how medieval life worked, how to build an impregnable fortress, which military strategies to use in specific battle scenarios, and what plants and animals might be found in various regions and climates.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
Oh, I’m afraid I am not disciplined enough to have an actual schedule but I do make a point of writing something, anything, every single day. It could be one line or several, a few pages or a complete short story. If the mood takes me, I write for days on end with nary a break, doing just enough of everything else necessary to keep me alive. Conversely, I can procrastinate for weeks, and have to drag myself kicking and screaming to the keyboard so I can jot down random ideas.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Yes. Long and hard, and quite often. It was “suggested” to me how I will never be successful as an author if I used my real name, and that I should adopt a white, Christian name as a pseudonym to have any chance. And I did consider it for a long while because being an author is all I have ever wanted. Still, I’ve never been one to conform, especially to such ridiculous ideas. I hate it when I see people doing just that or when female authors use initials and/or pseudonyms to hide their gender.
I figure if you’re not going to read my work because of my name, I don’t want you reading my work under any name. So, I might earn a little less or fail to be “successful” in the final telling but I wouldn’t have bent to hate and prejudice.
How do you select the names of your characters? Do you know everything about them before you start writing their story?
I maintain a database of names I’ve created by stringing together random sounds and syllables, and each name is assigned a culture/nation from my fantasy world. Additionally, I trawl websites for baby names and use fantasy name generators, collect them all in a spreadsheet, and use them accordingly. Some names I’ll tweak to make them more appropriate for fantasy stories or I’ll use a name from Greek mythology.
My characters and I usually have a chat session, much like this one, over a few cups of tea and coffee where I learn about them everything I can. On occasion, however, a complete stranger will show up, and barge their way into a story, only slowly revealing tiny details about themselves along the way.
How long on average does it take you to write a book or story?
The fastest I’ve ever written a published story, from idea to submission, was a 5k-word piece in 30 hours. On average, I spend 2-3 days on each short story – from when I decide what to write to final edits, and submission to a publisher.
If I could bring myself to stick to a single project at a time instead of several, I reckon it would take me 3-4 weeks to write a novella. Instead, given my process and workload [which has included launching my own publishing house 5 months ago], it has taken me almost 8 months to bring my current novella to near completion.
Thank you for joining me today, Umair. If you want to know more about Umair’s writing or books click on the links below.
Home
http://paperdjinnpress.com/amazon.com/author/umairmirxa
https://www.facebook.com/UMirxa12
If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.
