Liz Williams's Blog, page 15
January 3, 2012
Gales!
We haz them. It is quite appalling outside - water pouring out of the guttering. I have managed somehow to get wet without actually leaving the house.
Creative Writing Mentoring
As some of you will know, I have been offering manuscript appraisal services for some time now, but I have recently been joined by historical novelist Maria McCann. I am updating this as Maria has now come on board with the Arvon team, and I'm including details of that below.
Maria has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Glamorgan. For nearly a decade (until December 2010) she ran the Creative Writing courses at Strode College in Somerset, helping writers of all levels of ability to nurture their creative processes and to craft their work. Alongside historical novelists Emma Darwin, Rose Melikan and R N Morris, Maria appears at literary festivals as part of a panel discussing aspects of writing and researching historical fiction; from January 2011 she will be one of three writers (along with poet Daljit Nagra and playwright Nell Leyshon) selected to mentor upcoming talent as part of the Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Scheme.
I will be dealing with SF, Fantasy and Horror, or any related sub-genres. Maria will be dealing with literary fiction and historical fiction. We will be offering:
- manuscript proposal appraisal (first three chapters and synopsis)
- full manuscript appraisal (novels and short fiction)
- submission package assessment
We can also offer tailor-made packages, depending on your needs and requirements. If you want an assessment of your initial three chapters, to see whether a manuscript is worth continuing, we can look at this. If you have a whole novel, and would like it taken up to the point where you are ready to submit to an agent, we can structure a timetable for you and take you through a chapter-by-chapter assessment. This process is likely to take about a year (unless you're a very quick writer!) and we will suggest that you rewrite if we think it's necessary.
You can start at any point. We are both very thorough – this is aimed at the serious writer who is aiming at a professional career. We start with an appraisal, and if we think your expectations are unrealistic and that you would not benefit at this point from a full appraisal program, we will tell you. However, we are solution-oriented and our criticism will always be constructive!
The aim of this process is to prepare work for publication. Obviously, we cannot guarantee that, although I would note that my last student has just had her first novel published as part of a 3 book-deal. I can put you in touch with former students if you wish. For other genres, including detective fiction, post-colonial fiction or other, let me know if you would like details and I will pass you on to a wider mentoring agency.
If you would like to discuss this with either Maria or myself, please email me at mevennen(at)hotmail(dot)com for further information, including a full breakdown of costs.
Maria has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Glamorgan. For nearly a decade (until December 2010) she ran the Creative Writing courses at Strode College in Somerset, helping writers of all levels of ability to nurture their creative processes and to craft their work. Alongside historical novelists Emma Darwin, Rose Melikan and R N Morris, Maria appears at literary festivals as part of a panel discussing aspects of writing and researching historical fiction; from January 2011 she will be one of three writers (along with poet Daljit Nagra and playwright Nell Leyshon) selected to mentor upcoming talent as part of the Jerwood/Arvon Mentoring Scheme.
I will be dealing with SF, Fantasy and Horror, or any related sub-genres. Maria will be dealing with literary fiction and historical fiction. We will be offering:
- manuscript proposal appraisal (first three chapters and synopsis)
- full manuscript appraisal (novels and short fiction)
- submission package assessment
We can also offer tailor-made packages, depending on your needs and requirements. If you want an assessment of your initial three chapters, to see whether a manuscript is worth continuing, we can look at this. If you have a whole novel, and would like it taken up to the point where you are ready to submit to an agent, we can structure a timetable for you and take you through a chapter-by-chapter assessment. This process is likely to take about a year (unless you're a very quick writer!) and we will suggest that you rewrite if we think it's necessary.
You can start at any point. We are both very thorough – this is aimed at the serious writer who is aiming at a professional career. We start with an appraisal, and if we think your expectations are unrealistic and that you would not benefit at this point from a full appraisal program, we will tell you. However, we are solution-oriented and our criticism will always be constructive!
The aim of this process is to prepare work for publication. Obviously, we cannot guarantee that, although I would note that my last student has just had her first novel published as part of a 3 book-deal. I can put you in touch with former students if you wish. For other genres, including detective fiction, post-colonial fiction or other, let me know if you would like details and I will pass you on to a wider mentoring agency.
If you would like to discuss this with either Maria or myself, please email me at mevennen(at)hotmail(dot)com for further information, including a full breakdown of costs.
January 2, 2012
Kicking off 2012...
...with a visit to the races, which were packed. Outside the Festival, I have never seen so many people on the track. It was chilly, and a bit damp, but overall, a very upbeat start to the year. We then visited my parents: my father is entering his 90th year in 2012.
Henry the kitten has retreated under the kitchen cabinet and Does. Not. Want, although he does not appear particularly upset (more Oh hai, I like it here) and is eating like a gannet. He will choose his own time in which to emerge: Sid did this for some days, under the sofa.
In writing news, the Hundred Stories Project is now nearly at its IndieGogo close and has been overall a success - many thanks to all of you who have donated so kindly. The first stories have been started, it's going well, and all subscribers will be sent their first 7 stories next Sunday, and weekly from then on.
The next instalment of A Thousand Li has just gone out so please let me know if you haven't had it. And now, it will be onwards with Morningstar. No rest for the wicked!
Henry the kitten has retreated under the kitchen cabinet and Does. Not. Want, although he does not appear particularly upset (more Oh hai, I like it here) and is eating like a gannet. He will choose his own time in which to emerge: Sid did this for some days, under the sofa.
In writing news, the Hundred Stories Project is now nearly at its IndieGogo close and has been overall a success - many thanks to all of you who have donated so kindly. The first stories have been started, it's going well, and all subscribers will be sent their first 7 stories next Sunday, and weekly from then on.
The next instalment of A Thousand Li has just gone out so please let me know if you haven't had it. And now, it will be onwards with Morningstar. No rest for the wicked!
December 31, 2011
Happy New Year!
I would like to wish everyone who reads this blog a very happy New Year, and as positive a start as possible to 2012. We've had a year with some highlights, but mainly it has been in a holding pattern: no major illnesses, thankfully, and no problems that have not been overcome without the help of family and friends. Without those, we would not still be going in our current form as a business, and I would like to thank all of you who have so kindly and generously subscribed to the various offers and appeals. It is appreciated beyond measure.
Highlights of the year include the Glastonbury Symposium, which has initiated a programme of academic involvement within the town of which the Hundred Stories project is likely to be a part in 2012. This is under the aegis of the Pilgrim Reception Centre, who do such good work in Glastonbury. We have big plans for 2012 and I will keep everyone posted.
The year also saw the first Glastonbury Conference of Literature, with our great GOH Freda Warrington. I'm planning a second conference for 2012, on a slightly bigger scale, so watch this space. We also hosted Anne Sudworth's exhibition and others by some of the country's main esoteric artists.
On a personal level, it's been lovely to have so many wonderful guests - Kari, Patricia, S and S, Gavin and Janet, Beth, and C, and anyone else whom I have unforgivably omitted. We are very lucky and blessed in the people whom we know. Thank you all.
Highlights of the year include the Glastonbury Symposium, which has initiated a programme of academic involvement within the town of which the Hundred Stories project is likely to be a part in 2012. This is under the aegis of the Pilgrim Reception Centre, who do such good work in Glastonbury. We have big plans for 2012 and I will keep everyone posted.
The year also saw the first Glastonbury Conference of Literature, with our great GOH Freda Warrington. I'm planning a second conference for 2012, on a slightly bigger scale, so watch this space. We also hosted Anne Sudworth's exhibition and others by some of the country's main esoteric artists.
On a personal level, it's been lovely to have so many wonderful guests - Kari, Patricia, S and S, Gavin and Janet, Beth, and C, and anyone else whom I have unforgivably omitted. We are very lucky and blessed in the people whom we know. Thank you all.
December 30, 2011
Henry
We have a new kitten. His name is Henry and he is black: he is 7 months old and was picked up as a stray in a neighbouring village, since when he has been in the hands of the Cat's Protection League. I collected him tonight - he undertook the journey in the car in complete silence and has now gone to ground in the study, in which he is being confined. However, he has come out long enough to beat me up, eat his tea, say hello to Trevor and roll about, plus purr loudly, so I don't think he is undergoing massive trauma so far. He wishes everyone to know that he is VERY FIERCE.
He has seen Sid and Sid has seen him through the glass door: they stared at each other for a moment (Sid: 'I don't know if you've realised, but there is ANOTHER CAT in there!'), then basically went 'Oh hai, I am too cool to be freaked out by you,' and both went off and did something else.
He has seen Sid and Sid has seen him through the glass door: they stared at each other for a moment (Sid: 'I don't know if you've realised, but there is ANOTHER CAT in there!'), then basically went 'Oh hai, I am too cool to be freaked out by you,' and both went off and did something else.
December 29, 2011
Bristol
I have had a day off, spent in Bristol. Our old friends E and W are briefly here, touring with a choir, and I went up to meet them (T was working). We had very heavy hail this morning, but it died down enough to drive up over the Mendips with added rainbows - by the time I got into town, however, it was once more pouring, and is now blowing a quite fearsome gale. So we took refuge in the Hatchet, Bristol's oldest pub, where the barmaid elbowed the barman out of the way and said, "He won't make you a hot toddy. But I will." And she did.
Then we had a quick stroll around to Christmas Steps and thence back, in my case, to Glastonbury.
Then we had a quick stroll around to Christmas Steps and thence back, in my case, to Glastonbury.
December 25, 2011
Christmas
Hope everyone who celebrates is having a good time. We have cooked Christmas dinner and are now respectively watching NFL and Gaudy Night on You tube (you can possibly guess who is watching what). Apart from this, I have spent most of the day with my nose in a book, listening to Medieval carols, which is pretty much the ideal Christmas as far as I'm concerned. The only tension results from the fact that, despite the amount of space we have in this house, Sid MUST sit on the same bit of the sofa that I want to sit on. MUST.
There might be more cat news in the week.
There might be more cat news in the week.
December 24, 2011
Festive season
We're working until 1 today, then seeing whoever is around in the George and Pilgrim and thence home to light a fire and hole up for the next couple of days. I have my Christmas reading organised (this is the most essential bit...) and we've got the food in. There's actually blue sky and sunlight now, but clouds building up over the Bristol Channel and I suspect we might be in for more storms later. May I wish everyone who celebrates a wonderful festive season!
December 18, 2011
To keep the cold winter away
We're gearing up for the festive season - have more or less done the Christmas shopping, decorations etc and are now in a somewhat hibernatory mood, which is time-honoured at this point of the year (lighting fires, cooking roasts etc). The dogs are, however, a good excuse for some walks out on the bird reserve, which is filled with cormorants, wild duck and swans at the moment, and the occasional flock of long-tailed tits and owls. Most evenings, when I get out of the car at dusk, I hear owls.
In other news, I have now delivered the revised Worldsoul to my editor. Prime seem very pleased with it, which is obviously good news. Morningstar will be next on the agenda, and then it's back to the second Worldsoul novel, which I am roughing out now. Also working on some short fiction, and of course, the new Chen instalment novel and short stories.
The 100 Stories project will be going ahead: although we haven't raised a massive amount directly from IndieGogo, we have through the paypal appeal on here, and thanks to a very, very kind couple of people, funding is now much more than halfway there and the project overall will be going ahead. In the New Year, Trevor and his supervisor will be working on the preliminary stages. It is likely that the 100 Stories itself will be part of a wider project, for which I will be seeking government funding in the New Year.
In other news, I have now delivered the revised Worldsoul to my editor. Prime seem very pleased with it, which is obviously good news. Morningstar will be next on the agenda, and then it's back to the second Worldsoul novel, which I am roughing out now. Also working on some short fiction, and of course, the new Chen instalment novel and short stories.
The 100 Stories project will be going ahead: although we haven't raised a massive amount directly from IndieGogo, we have through the paypal appeal on here, and thanks to a very, very kind couple of people, funding is now much more than halfway there and the project overall will be going ahead. In the New Year, Trevor and his supervisor will be working on the preliminary stages. It is likely that the 100 Stories itself will be part of a wider project, for which I will be seeking government funding in the New Year.
December 13, 2011
Worldsoul-tastic
My editor at Prime has sent me the edit letter for Worldsoul and it's very positive (she seems to like it!). So this week will see me getting on with editing suggestions. I'm also currently finishing the third story for those of you who ordered the three Worldsoul stories back in the summer sale - these have been a lot of fun to write (two are finished) so you will be receiving those in time for the festive season. Thr novel itself is likely to be published in the first half of 2012.
It's hard to know where to place Worldsoul, but it's a lot closer to the Chen novels than my other SF. If you like:
- demons (Medieval grimoire ones, this time)
- libraries
- stories
- talking weapons
- mysterious magic-working women
- sinister camels
...this may be the novel for you.
Hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as Singapore Three!
It's hard to know where to place Worldsoul, but it's a lot closer to the Chen novels than my other SF. If you like:
- demons (Medieval grimoire ones, this time)
- libraries
- stories
- talking weapons
- mysterious magic-working women
- sinister camels
...this may be the novel for you.
Hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as Singapore Three!
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