Nicola Matthews's Blog, page 2

What I wish I'd known

I wrote to Literary agents when I first finished the manuscript. At that time I was unsuccessful. With all your lovely comments and the great reviews, I am now sending Kitty off once more. Then I shall move on to the sequel. More about that in subsequent posts.

I WISH I'D KNOWN how difficult it is to get a book out there before I started writing. There is so much to consider. I didnt realise that many successful authors write to a formular of sorts. They know what a literary agent is looking for, and write accordingly. Who knew it wasnt some kind of artistic magic that happened to some and not to others? Probably you are less idealistic than me and knew that all along. Now I get it, I recommend to all I meet who are writing, an excellent little book called The First Five Pages, a Writers Guide for Staying Out of the Rejection Pile, by Luke Noahman. You can find a copy here.

We all know how difficult it is to get an agent and many authors simply self publish. But I find all the stuff around self publishing so stressful, so I'm giving it another go. And it is a task! Every agent asks for a different format. If you dont get the covering letter right, it'll go straight into the bin. Not easy. Kitty has not yet been accepted, so I cannot speak from a postition of success. There is lots out there about the process. but here's a brief break down.

THE PITCH.

The pitch is a one or two liner that sums the book up. One agent sites the pitch for Alien as a perfect example, 'Jaws in space.' Now this is all well and good for a thriller or action novel, but for a weaving emotional saga, like Kitty Canham, it is much more tricky.

THE SYNOPSIS

This is usually up to 500 words that tells the major themes and incidents in the story. But... and here's the challenge, they so often say they don't want spoilers. My first attempt was so ambiguous that it hardly had any of the story in it at all. In fact I am changing the blurb on the back of the book with my next edition, because it is likewise wooly.

I have changed my synopsis. I am including the plot points and giving spoilers away. The historical points in Kitty Canham are the most interesting bits, in trying to leave them out I feel I wont be whetting anyones appetite. So, I'm ignoring the rules. Only time will tell if I am right to do so.

EXCERPT

Some want the first three chapters, some 10,000 words. Some with 1.5 spacing. Some with blocked format. Some want pdf's, some want word, (no-one wants pages). A minefield. And you can't choose your best bits, it's always the opening. I don't think this helps with an unfolding tale, like Kitty's.

COVERING LETTER

There's little I can say, but that each agent asks for different things.

WHAT I'VE LEARNT

I will be much more aware of how I write the first five pages of my next novel. It seems that a gentle unfolding is not an option. Also, I know that I have learnt so much from writers groups and courses. I highly recommend them if you want to write. I am amazed at how many excellent writers there are out there. Many will never be published. But that is not why they write. They have something to say, or a story to tell and they just write to get it out there. Whether you write a journal, business reports or books, happy writing everyone.

And she's off...

Imagine a plane circling the runway in fog, it keeps circling until the lights on the ground break through the mist and it finds its way towards landing.

I have been circling for some time around ideas for my next novel. Would it springboard from another folk tale? or would it be something around my bohemian childhood? But the characters in Kitty's tale seemed to keep calling. I started jotting down notes, and soon the lights on my personal runway began to show.

It is fascinating when you take a character you already know, how the circumstance around that character seem to bloom and make space for new storytelling. And so a whole new story begins.

The Process

The process with my first novel was easy. I was presented with facts around which to work. Then I began at our natural meeting place; the landscape we share. This time it felt like looking into a void. I had no starting point. It was only when I was beginning to panic, that an idea began to form. It is around the life of Sarah, Kitty's friend, who disappears into a violent relationship. Her estranged son, Nate, comes to a point when he wants to know what happened to his mother. He will be my protagonist. Unless he slips from my hand like the proverbial soap in a bath, of course.

Many authors work from notebooks with copious notes and ideas. It just doesn't work for me. I favour bits of paper so that I can move things around. I am a visual person by nature and my little figures really help to keep possible characters in mind. At present I am exploring avenues to see where things take me. But I am not a plotter. Soon, I will pick a starting point and start writing. From there the characters will begin to lead. That's the real exciting bit. I can't wait. But until I do. I will continue to plough on through the fog. I'll keep you posted when I hit the tarmac.

Thanks for listening.

Short Story from Two Little Words

Hi, if you want to cut to the chase, scroll to the bottom.

Autumn has come in with a bang. I love it! It's getter ever more beautiful out there. It is a time when I draw in and start getting creative again. I'd say its a time for getting cosy, but here in the UK we are all going to be sitting around in jumpers because of energy costs. Hey ho.

I'm getting writing again after so much energy spent on marketting. It's not playing to my strengths, but determination can get you a long way I reckon. Anyway... my two little words. Last week I got my friends to give me random words which I then drew three out of the hat. The words were, Concrete, Reinforced (these words came in separately) and Pronation, (Thanks for that Andy ) It's the way a foot rolls in on landing. Not my usual choice of words, but I said I'd work with what came out of the hat. In the end I decided I couldn't work with Reinforced, so I went with Concrete and Pronation. What a happy pairing! So I put together a flash fiction/short story called, After the Fall, inspired by those words.

This is the first time I've written in the present tense. It was difficult not to keep returning to past tense. If you see places I've slipped up on that, do let me know. It's also the first time I've written from a male perspective. I'd be interested to get any comments on how that is working.

But before that, a word about the hat. My husband, Seymour, picked it up years ago in Colorado. He had been touring round the world with the RSC, doing King Lear with Ian Mckellan. Yup, I'm name dropping. Seymour flew from singapore and I flew from the UK. We met in Denver. We had a wonderful week in the Rockies, followed by a week in New York while he was playing the BAM in Brooklyn. Enough of the romanitc stuff.

If you enjoy my little story, or more importantly enjoy helping me grow as a writer, why not join my mailing list. I will be putting out a newsletter monthly to keep you in touch with how my latest writing is coming on. You'll get all my short stories. And you'll hear how my new novel is coming on. News of that will be coming soon.

Interview with Book Reader Magazine

Fun to be doing interviews. I'm not going to write about it here because I say enough in the interview. If you fancy a look you can find it here.

Excerpt from Kitty Canham inspired by my childhood.

Is our childhood ever far from us? I think not. This was the house that I was brought up in. My parents took it on in a derelict state with three young children in tow. They lived in a couple of rooms to begin with and gradually reclaimed the old property.

On the day they moved in, my mother sat on the stairs crying, but over the years she grew to love this place. It became a home that was full of joy for the family and all those who came to stay. Some invited, some not. There were mornings I'd come down to breakfast to be greeted by a stranger at our table tucking in to a bowl of cereal. Alternatively, I may find a crumpled body, lying on the sofa in the living room, left there from the party the night before. It was, by all accounts, a bohemian upbringing. My father, Jack Watling, was an actor and a bit of a star of the 50's. The house was full of actors and parties and the hangers on you aquire in such a home. I was not yet born when my parents moved in to The Hall and my oldest sister moved out when I was one to forge her own career in musical theatre. This was the home of my childhood.

The house itself influenced both Kitty's home, but also the Manor house which Kitty visits. It was first built in the 15th century, and was added to until the Georgian period. It is however the bohemian nature of my childhood that came to light in the excerpt below. It is taken from when Kitty visits London for a second time and is invited to the home of an artist, Florence.

Inspiration... Help!

As I write, I am on the ninth day of covid. Stuck at home with a fuggy brain and I'm getting antsy. I want to get creative. I want to do something... anything. But foggy brain and unispired. And then next door started up the chainsaw! He's doing some tree surgery. Great! So there is nothing for it. I made for my garage, which is my studio/dumping ground and which is, thankfully, at the front of the house. Then I started to collage.

Ah the beauty of collage. No brain work needed. No messy brushes to clean. No blank canvass. Just a bit of card, magazines, scissors and a stick of glue that's so old and gummy it would stick your false teeth in.

But seriously, whenever I need an outlet I go to collage. The juxtapostion of images and words is always intreguing. You can lose yourself in it for hours. It could just be my ADHD coming out, but when I look at the crazy mess I've stuck together, it somehow makes sense of my brain. After that I can get on with life better.

I thoroughly recommend collaging. Its certainly therapeutic and sometimes inspiring. And better than moping or trying to achieve that thing on your list that is so important, but that always manages to end up at the bottom.

Whatever you do to destress and re-energise... enjoy.

New Writing Project - Three Little Words

Creating new fiction with randomly selected words

As a writer I am keen to harness the power of words to build new stories. I can’t wait to share my new writing project with you all, where I hope to bring writers and readers together for a bit of fun as part of this writing project.

Three Words: what’s it all about?

When my kids were young, I’d invite each of them to give me a random word. Of course, it was usually ‘dinosaur’, ‘princess’ or ‘cat’. Using the words they gave me, I’d weave together a bedtime story. They had such fun, but fun isn’t only for children!

Each month I will invite YOU to send me one word – any word at all: adjective, noun, verb etc. On the first of the month, I will randomly pull out of a hat three entries. I will then use these to springboard a short fiction, which will be shared via ,my newsletter.

What do I need YOU to do?

Send me your words on social media; ,Facebook, ,Instagram or on ,Twitter add #3words. At the end of the month, I will randomly select three words from all the entries I receive. I will then have 30 days to write a short fiction, which you can receive as a subscriber to ,my newsletter.

Storytelling relies on the use of imagination and inventiveness with words. The best authors are playful, using creativity to explore new worlds and perspectives. I can’t wait to see your suggestions!

I won't tolerate any offensive or abusive words. You will be immediately blocked.

At last... book bombing continues.

After a short summer break, followed by a bout of covic, I am continuing my book bombing exploits.

So far I have left books for readers to find in Frinton-on-sea, Wivenhoe, Bury st Edmunds, Woodbridge and Harwich. Coming up will be Brightlingsea, Manningtree, Dedham and possibly Maldon at some point. Other villages will be bombed along the way. I can't resist.

One man said how he was 'really touched' by finding a book left by the author on a bench. He is of a mathmatical persuation and gave Kitty Canham to his wife who, I am told, thoroughly enjoyed it and passed it on. Its wonderful to hear something of the journey my book takes. If any of you know the story of where any of my books have gone, do let me know. I'd love to hear.

Another guy said he was going to leave it on another bench with his own book mark in it. I don't know if he did. But what a great idea.

Keep an eye out on social media if you'd like to know when and where I am doing my next drop. Happy hunting.

Book bombing continues...

After a short summer break, I am continuing my book bombing exploits. I am leaving books on benches along the Essex/Suffolk coast where my novel begins. It has been been such fun to watch as people spy the book on a bench, then look around to see who left it before picking it up and opening it. A bookmark is inserted so that it is quite clear that it there to be taken.

So far I have left books for readers to find in Frinton-on-sea, Wivenhoe, Bury st Edmunds, Woodbridge and Harwich. Coming up will be Brightlingsea, Manningtree, Dedham and possibley Maldon at some point. Other villages will be bombed along the way. I can't resist.

Keep an eye out on social media if you'd like to know when and where I am. Happy hunting.

In Front of the Camera

What I like about writing is that you do it in your own space. There is no need to be anything or appear in any particular way. However, marketing requires it.

I've tried various head shots, and none seem to satisfy me. I have used a professional in the past and they made me look good. But, I still feel that the me I am looking at isn't the me that I feel is me. Work that one out!

Perhaps it is because a writer writes in 3D, they have to. They see each character as full person with all thier faults and hesitancies, thier internalised moments and the many faces they offer to others. Any novel written in a 2D way would surely be lacking.

This has made me realise something. I started out in theatre, then went on to study sculpture. Both made sense, they inhabit real space, but when I tried painting, it was an impossible task. I just don't get it and I've tried. Really tried. My drawing skills are OK, but painting seems to elude me. When it came to writing, it all made sense again.

I love you painters and admire you. I will probably try again because I love the process, but I don't expect to succeed. For the time being I am going to stick to writing. I feel I have just punctured the surface with Kitty Canham and itch to get going again when the stress of marketing has settled.

Most of my life has been about making something out of mistakes. So, I decided that this tritych of mistakes could be my most recent headshot (if only it fitted into the little square so often offered). It is so much more me.

Thanks for looking and listening.