Talli Roland's Blog, page 11
October 26, 2012
Nicking Other People’s Stories
Look at that, it's somehow Friday! I've no idea how this week passed so quickly, but today I'm happy to have author Phillipa Ashley on the blog, talking about her latest novel and fan fiction. So without further ado, here's Phillipa!
The World of Fanfic
In November 2004, few people had heard of ‘fanfic.’ Hell, I hadn’t heard of fanfic and I certainly wouldn’t have dreamed of ever writing any. In fact, if you’d told me that within six months I was going to a -write fanfic and b- then write a novel, and that it would be a –published; b - win an RNA award and c - get made into a movie, I’d have thought you were stark raving bonkers.
As the name suggests, fanfic is when a writer takes inspiration from a favourite novel, TV series or film and creates their own stories around the incidents and characters in the original. Back in 2004,I think it’s’ fair to say that fanfic was largely a niche area of fiction writing, considered by some to be at the bottom rung of the literary ladder. Back then fanfic authors struggled to break free of their genre and achieve credibility and to a degree, I can understand why.
In its purest form, fanfic is essentially the plunder of other writers’ work – if not of their actual phrases and words, then of concepts and characters. For that reason, much if it is confined to fan forums, and can’t be published for commercial gain. The writers of the originals – if they are alive – would rightly be outraged to have their work ‘stolen’ in this way.
However, the online world has moved on very rapidly and a growing number of fanfic writers have found new ways to reach a mainstream audience, with their own works
The most famous, of course, is EL James, whose Fifty Shades of Grey novels had their roots in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Not having read the Twilight books and only seen the movies, I can’t really judge how strong the relationships between the two series are. But it seems to me that an obsessive relationship between a young ingénue and a sophisticated dominant male is the core of the story - and that’s a theme that’s common to countless romance novels.
My very first story was inspired by a BBC costume drama called North & South, that was aired in late November 2004 and starred Richard Armitage as another ‘Alpha male John Thornton. I also read the book but I have to say the TV series captured my imagination more.
Having never written any fiction before I felt compelled to write a modern version of the story. Back then, I was unaware that authors did this and I think that until then, there wasn’t any North & South fanfic of any kind, certainly not modern versions.
I posted my story on a Yahoo loop and got some encouraging feedback. Most of all, I realised that I had found what I wanted to do with the rest of my life: write romantic fiction. Other writers started posting their own N&S fanfics, both historical and modern and our chapters were devoured by readers desperate for their fix once the series has ended .
But I soon came up against a problem: which I now know was an opportunity.
For me, the desire to create my own characters was too just too powerful to ignore. I hadn’t got very far through my North & South story (imaginatively entitles N&S 2005) when I realised that ‘my’ John Thornton was not the one in the novel or TV series. He and the other characters had taken on lives of their own.
I took my fanfic off the net, feeling constrained by the need to fulfil reader expectations that I could never meet: I also was desperate to try my hand at an original romance. That story was Decent Exposure – which luckily for me, went on to get a book and movie deal.
That’s not to say that there isn’t a little bit of ‘Thornton’ or Mr Richard Armitage in all the heroes I've created. I’ll always thank my lucky stars I saw that programme and met so many inspiring women, both readers and writers, through the fanfic world.
Since then , many of the original N&S fanfic authors have gone on to create and publish their own novels, including Rosy Thornton, Juliet Archer , Hazel Osmond and Elizabeth Hanbury.
So what actually counts as a fanfic these days? The canon is wide and arouses much debate. I know dozens of authors who write Austen spin offs, everything from Mr Darcy Vampire by Amanda Grange to Pride; Prejudice and Zombies. Most recently, we’ve seen new the erotic new retellings of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.
Does Jean Rhys’s literary classic Wide Sargasso Sea count as a fanfic because it features the young Bertha Mason? Is Anthony Horowitz’s new Sherlock Holmes story, House of Silk a fanfic?
There will always be a vast canon of ‘pure’ fanfic on the web. where writers try to stay as true to their source as possible. But there will also be those break out authors who use that first impetus as inspiration for new material – so I say may fanfic never die, in all its forms.
The debate will rage on but one thing is clear in my mind. Without fanfic, I would never have started writing and kept on writing and my own happy ending is that my sixth novel, Miranda’s Mount was published on October 4th by Piatkus Entice.
I'm curious to know, do any of you write fanfic?
Have a great weekend, everyone. See you Monday!
The World of Fanfic
In November 2004, few people had heard of ‘fanfic.’ Hell, I hadn’t heard of fanfic and I certainly wouldn’t have dreamed of ever writing any. In fact, if you’d told me that within six months I was going to a -write fanfic and b- then write a novel, and that it would be a –published; b - win an RNA award and c - get made into a movie, I’d have thought you were stark raving bonkers.
As the name suggests, fanfic is when a writer takes inspiration from a favourite novel, TV series or film and creates their own stories around the incidents and characters in the original. Back in 2004,I think it’s’ fair to say that fanfic was largely a niche area of fiction writing, considered by some to be at the bottom rung of the literary ladder. Back then fanfic authors struggled to break free of their genre and achieve credibility and to a degree, I can understand why.
In its purest form, fanfic is essentially the plunder of other writers’ work – if not of their actual phrases and words, then of concepts and characters. For that reason, much if it is confined to fan forums, and can’t be published for commercial gain. The writers of the originals – if they are alive – would rightly be outraged to have their work ‘stolen’ in this way.
However, the online world has moved on very rapidly and a growing number of fanfic writers have found new ways to reach a mainstream audience, with their own works
The most famous, of course, is EL James, whose Fifty Shades of Grey novels had their roots in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Not having read the Twilight books and only seen the movies, I can’t really judge how strong the relationships between the two series are. But it seems to me that an obsessive relationship between a young ingénue and a sophisticated dominant male is the core of the story - and that’s a theme that’s common to countless romance novels.
My very first story was inspired by a BBC costume drama called North & South, that was aired in late November 2004 and starred Richard Armitage as another ‘Alpha male John Thornton. I also read the book but I have to say the TV series captured my imagination more.
Having never written any fiction before I felt compelled to write a modern version of the story. Back then, I was unaware that authors did this and I think that until then, there wasn’t any North & South fanfic of any kind, certainly not modern versions.
I posted my story on a Yahoo loop and got some encouraging feedback. Most of all, I realised that I had found what I wanted to do with the rest of my life: write romantic fiction. Other writers started posting their own N&S fanfics, both historical and modern and our chapters were devoured by readers desperate for their fix once the series has ended .
But I soon came up against a problem: which I now know was an opportunity.
For me, the desire to create my own characters was too just too powerful to ignore. I hadn’t got very far through my North & South story (imaginatively entitles N&S 2005) when I realised that ‘my’ John Thornton was not the one in the novel or TV series. He and the other characters had taken on lives of their own.
I took my fanfic off the net, feeling constrained by the need to fulfil reader expectations that I could never meet: I also was desperate to try my hand at an original romance. That story was Decent Exposure – which luckily for me, went on to get a book and movie deal.
That’s not to say that there isn’t a little bit of ‘Thornton’ or Mr Richard Armitage in all the heroes I've created. I’ll always thank my lucky stars I saw that programme and met so many inspiring women, both readers and writers, through the fanfic world.
Since then , many of the original N&S fanfic authors have gone on to create and publish their own novels, including Rosy Thornton, Juliet Archer , Hazel Osmond and Elizabeth Hanbury.
So what actually counts as a fanfic these days? The canon is wide and arouses much debate. I know dozens of authors who write Austen spin offs, everything from Mr Darcy Vampire by Amanda Grange to Pride; Prejudice and Zombies. Most recently, we’ve seen new the erotic new retellings of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.
Does Jean Rhys’s literary classic Wide Sargasso Sea count as a fanfic because it features the young Bertha Mason? Is Anthony Horowitz’s new Sherlock Holmes story, House of Silk a fanfic?
There will always be a vast canon of ‘pure’ fanfic on the web. where writers try to stay as true to their source as possible. But there will also be those break out authors who use that first impetus as inspiration for new material – so I say may fanfic never die, in all its forms. The debate will rage on but one thing is clear in my mind. Without fanfic, I would never have started writing and kept on writing and my own happy ending is that my sixth novel, Miranda’s Mount was published on October 4th by Piatkus Entice.
I'm curious to know, do any of you write fanfic?
Have a great weekend, everyone. See you Monday!
October 22, 2012
Should Novelists Blog?
Hey hey! It's Monday! *insert grimace here* Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. It was a damp and drizzly one in London Town, but I didn't move here for the weather.
This morning, I read a post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner called 'Should Authors Blog?'. It got me thinking, because her thoughts echo my own. I'm not going to join the cries of 'blogging is dead', but I know many of you ( like me) have cut down on the amount of time you spend blogging, turning to Facebook and Twitter. We still blog, though, because we enjoy it and we love the people we've met.
And that's pretty much what Rachelle's post boils down to. With the number of blogs increasing, it's become harder and harder to make an impact. And forget selling books through blogs... it's almost impossible. Authors no longer need to have a blog; it's a nice to have if they so desire.
And I do! I'll never abandon my blog because I love posting what I'm up do, both writing-wise and with my jaunts around town. But as the years go on, new social media pop up, and my time decreases, I may limit my posting to once a week. We shall see!
How are you feeling about blogging these days?
This morning, I read a post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner called 'Should Authors Blog?'. It got me thinking, because her thoughts echo my own. I'm not going to join the cries of 'blogging is dead', but I know many of you ( like me) have cut down on the amount of time you spend blogging, turning to Facebook and Twitter. We still blog, though, because we enjoy it and we love the people we've met.
And that's pretty much what Rachelle's post boils down to. With the number of blogs increasing, it's become harder and harder to make an impact. And forget selling books through blogs... it's almost impossible. Authors no longer need to have a blog; it's a nice to have if they so desire.
And I do! I'll never abandon my blog because I love posting what I'm up do, both writing-wise and with my jaunts around town. But as the years go on, new social media pop up, and my time decreases, I may limit my posting to once a week. We shall see!
How are you feeling about blogging these days?
October 19, 2012
Mr Darcy? Yes, Please!
Happy Friday! TGIF, is all I can say. What a week!
Today, I'm delighted to host fellow Romantic Novelist Association member Victoria Connelly. I adore her novels -- if you're looking for a great romantic read, check them out -- and I can't wait to read her Christmas novella.
Take it away, Victoria!
I’ve always wanted to write a Christmas book. Whenever I see those pretty glittery book covers that start hitting the shelves in October, I tell myself, I must write one of those one day!
Last year, we were in the process of moving house and it was particularly stressful – one we liked was taken off the market, we got gazumped on another and then, when we finally found another, the paperwork took an absolute age. All this, together with two sick pet hens and a spaniel who underwent two major operations and nearly died both times, made it hard to concentrate on a long project like a novel. But I still needed to write something. I get pretty cranky when I’m not writing so I thought a shorter project would be fun and, as autumn approached, I kept thinking about Christmas and how we would be settled in our new home by Christmas.
I’d recently finished writing my Jane Austen Addicts’ Trilogy and I’d been getting a lot of emails from readers wanting to know what happened next to the characters. Dan Harcourt – one of my heroes from A Weekend with Mr Darcy - seemed to be getting more than his fair share of fan mail too and I must admit that he’s the hero I’d be most likely to run away with if I could!
Hmmmmm ... Jane Austen and Christmas, I thought. That sounds like a pretty irresistible partnership...
And that’s how Christmas with Mr Darcy was born. I thought it would be fun to unite all the main characters from the trilogy and have then attend a special Jane Austen conference at Purley Hall at Christmas. Throw in a badly-behaved brother, a marriage proposal and a missing first edition of Pride and Prejudice and you have the ingredients for a fun-filled festive read!
I can't tell you how much fun it was to write this novella. It was so lovely to see all my characters again and continue on their journey with them and it was so much fun to have a Christmas setting and really go to town decorating Purley Hall with evergreen garlands, candles and baubles. And Higgins the butler gets to wear some pretty fantastic waistcoats too!
Victoria Connelly has had eight novels published worldwide. Her first, Flights of Angels, was made into a film in Germany. All her books are available as ebooks along with two collections of short stories. She lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband and an ever-expanding family of animals and can frequently be found on Facebook wittering on about her hens. www.victoriaconnelly.com ; Twitter: @VictoriaDarcy
Thanks, Victoria!
Are you a Mr Darcy fan? Have a great weekend, everyone!
Today, I'm delighted to host fellow Romantic Novelist Association member Victoria Connelly. I adore her novels -- if you're looking for a great romantic read, check them out -- and I can't wait to read her Christmas novella.
Take it away, Victoria!
I’ve always wanted to write a Christmas book. Whenever I see those pretty glittery book covers that start hitting the shelves in October, I tell myself, I must write one of those one day!Last year, we were in the process of moving house and it was particularly stressful – one we liked was taken off the market, we got gazumped on another and then, when we finally found another, the paperwork took an absolute age. All this, together with two sick pet hens and a spaniel who underwent two major operations and nearly died both times, made it hard to concentrate on a long project like a novel. But I still needed to write something. I get pretty cranky when I’m not writing so I thought a shorter project would be fun and, as autumn approached, I kept thinking about Christmas and how we would be settled in our new home by Christmas.
I’d recently finished writing my Jane Austen Addicts’ Trilogy and I’d been getting a lot of emails from readers wanting to know what happened next to the characters. Dan Harcourt – one of my heroes from A Weekend with Mr Darcy - seemed to be getting more than his fair share of fan mail too and I must admit that he’s the hero I’d be most likely to run away with if I could!
Hmmmmm ... Jane Austen and Christmas, I thought. That sounds like a pretty irresistible partnership...
And that’s how Christmas with Mr Darcy was born. I thought it would be fun to unite all the main characters from the trilogy and have then attend a special Jane Austen conference at Purley Hall at Christmas. Throw in a badly-behaved brother, a marriage proposal and a missing first edition of Pride and Prejudice and you have the ingredients for a fun-filled festive read!
I can't tell you how much fun it was to write this novella. It was so lovely to see all my characters again and continue on their journey with them and it was so much fun to have a Christmas setting and really go to town decorating Purley Hall with evergreen garlands, candles and baubles. And Higgins the butler gets to wear some pretty fantastic waistcoats too!
Victoria Connelly has had eight novels published worldwide. Her first, Flights of Angels, was made into a film in Germany. All her books are available as ebooks along with two collections of short stories. She lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband and an ever-expanding family of animals and can frequently be found on Facebook wittering on about her hens. www.victoriaconnelly.com ; Twitter: @VictoriaDarcy Thanks, Victoria!
Are you a Mr Darcy fan? Have a great weekend, everyone!
October 15, 2012
Back to the Desk!
Oh, it's good to be home. After spending last week battling the foggy effects of jet-lag (and I highly recommend NOT undertaking trans-Atlantic flights while six months' pregnant -- ugh!), I was eager to get back to work. A creature of routine, I love my wake-up coffee, burnt toast breaks, and Twitter check-ins . . . not to mention the growing pile of virtual paper on my desk.
It's going to be a busy autumn, but I like being busy! I've got the Festival of Romance to attend mid-November . . .
The Pollyanna Plan to get out by the end of that month . . .
And a Christmas novella to complete
Lots of writing ahead. Fingers crossed that Baby TR does not make an unexpected early appearance, please!
What's on your plate for the next few months?
It's going to be a busy autumn, but I like being busy! I've got the Festival of Romance to attend mid-November . . .
The Pollyanna Plan to get out by the end of that month . . .
And a Christmas novella to complete
Lots of writing ahead. Fingers crossed that Baby TR does not make an unexpected early appearance, please!
What's on your plate for the next few months?
October 9, 2012
Vacation... Done!
Well! After over two action-packed weeks, my vacation is coming to an end tonight as I wing my way back to London. What a spectacular trip we've had, from a beautiful Cape Breton wedding to seeing old friends to a real Canadian Thanksgiving. It's been wonderful.
I hope you're ready for pictures? Yes? Here we go!
The wedding ceremony location at Keltic Lodge, Cape Breton.
(Photo by Pash Photography)
The beautiful bride and I walking to the ceremony.
(Photo by Pash Photography)
I absolutely love this photo. The newly-weds on Ingonish Beach.
(Photo by Pash Photography)
I'm hair-obsessed, so you can imagine my joy that the photographer captured my 'do!
(Photo by Pash Photography)
During the ceremony...
(Photo by Pash Photography)
Me and my two friends from Ottawa, who flew down for a visit, at Peggy's Cove.
Peggy's Cove.
Prince Edward Island.
Wood Islands lighthouse, Prince Edward Island.Phew! A great two weeks. Hope everyone has been faring well, too! I'll be recovering from jet-leg for the next few days, but I'll try to pop by and say hello.
What's new with you?
I hope you're ready for pictures? Yes? Here we go!
The wedding ceremony location at Keltic Lodge, Cape Breton.(Photo by Pash Photography)
The beautiful bride and I walking to the ceremony.(Photo by Pash Photography)
I absolutely love this photo. The newly-weds on Ingonish Beach.(Photo by Pash Photography)
I'm hair-obsessed, so you can imagine my joy that the photographer captured my 'do!(Photo by Pash Photography)
During the ceremony...(Photo by Pash Photography)
Me and my two friends from Ottawa, who flew down for a visit, at Peggy's Cove.
Peggy's Cove.
Prince Edward Island.
Wood Islands lighthouse, Prince Edward Island.Phew! A great two weeks. Hope everyone has been faring well, too! I'll be recovering from jet-leg for the next few days, but I'll try to pop by and say hello.What's new with you?
September 17, 2012
Off to the Other Side!
Happy Monday, everyone. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!
This is a very exciting week for me, because at the end of it, I'm off to my homeland . . . land of maple syrup, lobster, moose (hm, any other clichés I can throw in there?) and my best friend's wedding! We met over an unfortunate crayfish in Grade 10 Biology, and even though we haven't lived in the same city for longer than three years since, we've remained firm friends. Who knew crayfish could be so powerful?
I'll be on official blog break until the second week of October, but I'll probably pop in from time to time with some photos of my exploits.
In the meantime, here's what I'll be up to:
Staring out at the Atlantic Ocean.
Taking in the fantastic views from the Keltic Lodge, Cape Breton - site of the wedding.
Walking the red sand of Prince Edward Island.
Chowing down on my lobster friends.
Have a great couple weeks, everyone!
This is a very exciting week for me, because at the end of it, I'm off to my homeland . . . land of maple syrup, lobster, moose (hm, any other clichés I can throw in there?) and my best friend's wedding! We met over an unfortunate crayfish in Grade 10 Biology, and even though we haven't lived in the same city for longer than three years since, we've remained firm friends. Who knew crayfish could be so powerful?
I'll be on official blog break until the second week of October, but I'll probably pop in from time to time with some photos of my exploits.
In the meantime, here's what I'll be up to:
Staring out at the Atlantic Ocean.
Taking in the fantastic views from the Keltic Lodge, Cape Breton - site of the wedding.
Walking the red sand of Prince Edward Island.
Chowing down on my lobster friends.Have a great couple weeks, everyone!
September 14, 2012
Prince Charming, Etc.
Well, it's Friday. I've absolutely no idea how that happened, but somehow I have managed to finish the second draft of The Pollyanna Plan and complete the outline for my Christmas novella, which I'll start writing next week. Bring on the mistletoe!
Today, I'm pleased to welcome Laurey Buckland to the blog, talking about her new novel, A Girl's Guide to Fairy Tales. Great title, eh?
Over to Laurey!
Fairy tales seem to have saturated our media in the last few months in terms of films and television series , but that is not the reason I chose to base my first book on them. In fact, at the time I started writing, I thought I was on to something original. However, the fact the tales themselves have been around for centuries means that nothing that draws inspiration from them is truly original. So why bother?
Well…they were an appropriate theme for my story as fairy tales reflect universal themes of social class, love, money, appearance, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between – otherwise known as real life. Reality is where I set my story. No magic, no Fairy Godmothers to put things right or handsome princes to rescue damsels in distress. Just blood sweat and tears in a bid to discover that elusive happily ever after, which I believe every person on this planet seeks, whether they realise it or not.
One of the hardest parts though is realising when we have attained that happily-ever-after. What really defines it? What really makes us happy? That is what I wanted to explore and show how different those endings are for different people.
Despite only being 26-years-old, I have still had a decade of listening to countless stories from my girlfriends regarding love, life, work, sex, bad dates and good relationships, as well as having a few of my own stories to share.
I wanted my characters to become ‘every women,’ with facets and traits readers could relate to. Therefore for daydreamer Maddie, obsessive compulsive Clare, over dramatic Isobel and happy-go-lucky Sophie, life is more a world of tragic than magic. For Maddie it’s a constant battle against the monotony of a job she hates while her heart aches to be somewhere else, for Clare it’s a perpetual struggle to vanquish her teenage insecurities and to see herself for the woman she really is, for Isobel it’s a refusal to reveal her true self for fear it’s not what everyone imagined her to be and for Sophie it’s a willingness to believe in a rumour that threatens to poison her perfect relationship.
But with the love and support of their friends and a little bit of luck, the girls soon realise that happy ever afters are not just reserved for fairy tale fiction – as long as they start believing in them.
If you decide to read A Girl’s Guide to Fairy Tales, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find fragments of yourself in the characters I have come to love over the last year.
Thank you, Laurey.
Ladies, what was your favourite fairy tale growing up? And men, did you fancy yourself to be a prince, ready to sweep your princess off her feet?
Have a great weekend!
Today, I'm pleased to welcome Laurey Buckland to the blog, talking about her new novel, A Girl's Guide to Fairy Tales. Great title, eh?
Over to Laurey!
Fairy tales seem to have saturated our media in the last few months in terms of films and television series , but that is not the reason I chose to base my first book on them. In fact, at the time I started writing, I thought I was on to something original. However, the fact the tales themselves have been around for centuries means that nothing that draws inspiration from them is truly original. So why bother? Well…they were an appropriate theme for my story as fairy tales reflect universal themes of social class, love, money, appearance, the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between – otherwise known as real life. Reality is where I set my story. No magic, no Fairy Godmothers to put things right or handsome princes to rescue damsels in distress. Just blood sweat and tears in a bid to discover that elusive happily ever after, which I believe every person on this planet seeks, whether they realise it or not.
One of the hardest parts though is realising when we have attained that happily-ever-after. What really defines it? What really makes us happy? That is what I wanted to explore and show how different those endings are for different people.
Despite only being 26-years-old, I have still had a decade of listening to countless stories from my girlfriends regarding love, life, work, sex, bad dates and good relationships, as well as having a few of my own stories to share.
I wanted my characters to become ‘every women,’ with facets and traits readers could relate to. Therefore for daydreamer Maddie, obsessive compulsive Clare, over dramatic Isobel and happy-go-lucky Sophie, life is more a world of tragic than magic. For Maddie it’s a constant battle against the monotony of a job she hates while her heart aches to be somewhere else, for Clare it’s a perpetual struggle to vanquish her teenage insecurities and to see herself for the woman she really is, for Isobel it’s a refusal to reveal her true self for fear it’s not what everyone imagined her to be and for Sophie it’s a willingness to believe in a rumour that threatens to poison her perfect relationship.
But with the love and support of their friends and a little bit of luck, the girls soon realise that happy ever afters are not just reserved for fairy tale fiction – as long as they start believing in them.
If you decide to read A Girl’s Guide to Fairy Tales, I hope you enjoy and perhaps find fragments of yourself in the characters I have come to love over the last year.
Thank you, Laurey.
Ladies, what was your favourite fairy tale growing up? And men, did you fancy yourself to be a prince, ready to sweep your princess off her feet?
Have a great weekend!
September 10, 2012
York Festival of Writing: Mulling It Over
Phew, what a weekend! After two wonderful days at the York Festival of Writing, lots of great conversations with writers, co-running a workshop along with being on a panel and giving a presentation, and listening to some inspiring sessions . . . I'm exhausted. I arrived back to a hot and sweaty London late on Saturday night, and since then, I've been mulling over what I took away from the conference.
Writers are friendly people. Well, we already knew this, right? But the more I interact with writers in the real world, the more affirming it is. Since moving to London, rarely have I encountered strangers who smile and say hello! At this conference, that was the norm. And I loved it!
It's hard to get published - and it's hard once you are published - but failure can lead to success. Keynote speaker, best-selling author Jojo Moyes, detailed how her publishing journey has been full of highs and lows, and that the lows helped propel her towards the highs. Persistence really does make a difference.
More and more writers, traditionally published or not, are opening up to self-publishing. Two of my sessions focused on self-publishing, and I was pleased to see the attitude appears to be changing. It's no longer a last resort for the desperate, but a viable option alongside traditional publishing. Although the majority of conference participants were seeking the traditional route, it was nice that conference organisers didn't sideline the growing trend to self-publish.
It is possible to attend a writer's conference and not drink. Oh yes it is! Although I must admit, it's not by choice. :)
Above all, agents and editors are interested in the story. With all the worries about building a platform, writing the proper query, meeting submission guidelines, etc., it really does come down to the story.
And in other news, Sheri Larsen is celebrating! She's signed with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary, and she's having a huge giveaway to celebrate -- including some of my books. The giveaway is open until September 27th. Winners will be announced on September 28th. Head over to take a look.
And in more news! Leigh T Moore has released a novel! Check out The Truth about Faking here. Congrats, Leigh.
Have a great week, everyone. I'll see you on Friday!
Writers are friendly people. Well, we already knew this, right? But the more I interact with writers in the real world, the more affirming it is. Since moving to London, rarely have I encountered strangers who smile and say hello! At this conference, that was the norm. And I loved it!
It's hard to get published - and it's hard once you are published - but failure can lead to success. Keynote speaker, best-selling author Jojo Moyes, detailed how her publishing journey has been full of highs and lows, and that the lows helped propel her towards the highs. Persistence really does make a difference.
More and more writers, traditionally published or not, are opening up to self-publishing. Two of my sessions focused on self-publishing, and I was pleased to see the attitude appears to be changing. It's no longer a last resort for the desperate, but a viable option alongside traditional publishing. Although the majority of conference participants were seeking the traditional route, it was nice that conference organisers didn't sideline the growing trend to self-publish.
It is possible to attend a writer's conference and not drink. Oh yes it is! Although I must admit, it's not by choice. :)
Above all, agents and editors are interested in the story. With all the worries about building a platform, writing the proper query, meeting submission guidelines, etc., it really does come down to the story.
And in other news, Sheri Larsen is celebrating! She's signed with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary, and she's having a huge giveaway to celebrate -- including some of my books. The giveaway is open until September 27th. Winners will be announced on September 28th. Head over to take a look.
And in more news! Leigh T Moore has released a novel! Check out The Truth about Faking here. Congrats, Leigh.
Have a great week, everyone. I'll see you on Friday!
September 6, 2012
Kitties and Keyboards
Whoop! It's Friday! And as you read this, I am winging my way up north to York. So it's a good thing that I have the lovely, Montréalicious Cat Lavoie here today, covering for my absence.
Before turning the blog over to her, I want to say a huge apology to several bloggers whose comments I found trapped in my spam filter. I haven't been ignoring you -- I just didn't know you were there!
And now, without further ado, here's Cat:
Thanks for having me, Talli!
Today, I wanted to talk about the challenges of being a writer. But instead of focusing on how hard it can be to find time to write or how I have panic attacks when—after reading a draft for the twentieth time—I still find sneaky typos, I wanted to chat about the particular challenge of writing… with a cat on your keyboard.
I've been accused of being a crazy cat lady and I embrace that title with open arms. Besides, I think you need to have at least ten cats to qualify as a real crazy cat lady. And I only have one. Her name is Abbie and she does notsupport my writing career. In fact, I think she's actively trying to force me into early retirement. Since I spend most of the day at the office, I should give her all my attention when I get home, right? Sadly, that's not always the case.
When I adopted Abbie from a shelter ten years ago, she was already five years old and set in her kitty ways. I don't think she had a clue that she was being adopted by someone who spends most of her free time staring at a computer screen and having animated conversations with imaginary people who live inside her head. A crazy person, basically.
So what does Abbie do to get my attention? She takes my computer and my notes hostage.
When she eventually falls asleep, I scoop her up and whisk her over to her favourite chair before she even has time to open her eyes and realize that she has fallen asleep on the job.
Sometimes she'll have a change of heart and try to reward me for all my hard work. Just the other day she caught a bird in our backyard and tried to bring it back inside the house. Thankfully, he was able to escape her grip. The bird was meant to be a present for me, surely, and not a warning of what will happen if I ignore her for too long.
Even though she sometimes makes it hard for me to focus on writing, Abbie is—by far—my favourite distraction. There's nothing better than days when she doesn't feel like fighting me and will fall asleep next to (and not on) my computer. The soft rumblings of a happy—or resigned—kitty is like music to my ears.
Just don't tell her that I'm working on a second novel.
When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef. While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about. Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?
Thank you, Cat! You can purchase Cat's novel on Amazon here. Have a great weekend, everyone.
Before turning the blog over to her, I want to say a huge apology to several bloggers whose comments I found trapped in my spam filter. I haven't been ignoring you -- I just didn't know you were there!
And now, without further ado, here's Cat:
Thanks for having me, Talli!
Today, I wanted to talk about the challenges of being a writer. But instead of focusing on how hard it can be to find time to write or how I have panic attacks when—after reading a draft for the twentieth time—I still find sneaky typos, I wanted to chat about the particular challenge of writing… with a cat on your keyboard.
I've been accused of being a crazy cat lady and I embrace that title with open arms. Besides, I think you need to have at least ten cats to qualify as a real crazy cat lady. And I only have one. Her name is Abbie and she does notsupport my writing career. In fact, I think she's actively trying to force me into early retirement. Since I spend most of the day at the office, I should give her all my attention when I get home, right? Sadly, that's not always the case.
When I adopted Abbie from a shelter ten years ago, she was already five years old and set in her kitty ways. I don't think she had a clue that she was being adopted by someone who spends most of her free time staring at a computer screen and having animated conversations with imaginary people who live inside her head. A crazy person, basically.So what does Abbie do to get my attention? She takes my computer and my notes hostage.
When she eventually falls asleep, I scoop her up and whisk her over to her favourite chair before she even has time to open her eyes and realize that she has fallen asleep on the job.
Sometimes she'll have a change of heart and try to reward me for all my hard work. Just the other day she caught a bird in our backyard and tried to bring it back inside the house. Thankfully, he was able to escape her grip. The bird was meant to be a present for me, surely, and not a warning of what will happen if I ignore her for too long.
Even though she sometimes makes it hard for me to focus on writing, Abbie is—by far—my favourite distraction. There's nothing better than days when she doesn't feel like fighting me and will fall asleep next to (and not on) my computer. The soft rumblings of a happy—or resigned—kitty is like music to my ears.
Just don't tell her that I'm working on a second novel.
When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef. While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about. Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?
Thank you, Cat! You can purchase Cat's novel on Amazon here. Have a great weekend, everyone.
September 3, 2012
Laboricious
Happy Monday, everyone! And happy Labor Day to everyone in North America (like my lame post title? It's in your hono(u)r). This is Back to School Week in London, otherwise known as the Traffic is Hell Week. I shall sit tight in my little office watching the packed street with glee.
This week is a busy one for me, too. Friday, I'm off to the York Festival of Writing where I'm giving a four-hour workshop (eep!), along with taking part in two other sessions. Wish me luck, everyone. I may actually get to see some of York, too, a city I've always wanted to visit.
I'm also feverishly working away on the second draft of The Pollyanna Plan, trying to get this round of edits done before jetting off to Canada in three weeks for my best friend's wedding. Yay! And in other news, I have returned from red to blonde after a mammoth session at the hairdressers. My arse is still sore from sitting for so long!
Before I sign off, a small reminder today is the last day to get my novels for 99 cents, along with these other great books. Have a fantastic week!
What's on your agenda this September?
This week is a busy one for me, too. Friday, I'm off to the York Festival of Writing where I'm giving a four-hour workshop (eep!), along with taking part in two other sessions. Wish me luck, everyone. I may actually get to see some of York, too, a city I've always wanted to visit.
I'm also feverishly working away on the second draft of The Pollyanna Plan, trying to get this round of edits done before jetting off to Canada in three weeks for my best friend's wedding. Yay! And in other news, I have returned from red to blonde after a mammoth session at the hairdressers. My arse is still sore from sitting for so long!
Before I sign off, a small reminder today is the last day to get my novels for 99 cents, along with these other great books. Have a fantastic week!
What's on your agenda this September?
