C.J. Flood's Blog, page 6

I love ping pong

Ping pong is taking over my life. So much so that my friend, a writer, suggested I should write about it. It might take the magic out of it, and return you to your desk, he said. NEVER, I said. And so here I am. Writing about it.

I'm so happy! What deadline?
Reasons why I love ping pong:

It's so repetitive. It suits the slightly autistic part of me.The sound is lovely. When the ball hits a different surface (a light fitting perhaps) the sound makes you (me) laugh.You can improve so fast. You always feel like you're on the cusp of greatness.It puts me into a trance, and I am a worry free zone. (Is this a good thing? Who cares. It feels magnificent.)It's very sociable. It's exercise. But not too much exercise.It's not writing.
I think that might be it. My obsession is getting a little embarrassing, but there's nothing I can do about it. There's nothing I want to do about it. Except play more ping pong.

Here is a picture of a ping pong table my dad made for me when I was finishing INFINITE SKY at his house. It's very beautiful, as is he.

<3



Photos by Fiddy Matthews.

Would my teen characters have liked teen me?

Today at The Lucky 13s blog I talk about whether teen me and Iris Dancy, the protagonist from INFINITE SKY, would have been friends.

Hazard a guess and then read the answer...

Free books for everyone! Okay some! Okay one.

All lovers of reading will know that choosing your favourite book isn't easy. It's personal, and it changes over the years, along with your hair, and your tolerance for certain human traits/subcultures/newspapers.

However, we Lucky 13s want to bequeath our readers with gifts, and so it must be done. I must choose a book to give away as part of our great big generous all for the love offering. And so I choose...

The Outsiders by S.E.Hinton, published 1967.

I love this book for so many reasons. It has a magnificent, classic story: two gangs from different worlds (or socio-economic classes) battle over girls and territory (and which hairstyle and clothes are best - the literally slick look of the Greasers or the smooth look of the Socs).

It has heroism, violence, tragedy, and brothers baking chocolate cake. And it has numerous handsome teenage boys running around with floppy hair, which as I've pointed out in earlier blog posts no one can resist.

Not even Frances Ford Coppola who made a film of the story starring Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio and Matt Dillon. I know! What are we even doing reading this post? Let's watch that thing!

It also has glorious character names: Ponyboy and Sodapop being two of my favourites (and nope, they're not nicknames, those are bonafide given at birth by magnificent parents first names). It is a book full of beautiful, tender depictions of sibling relationships and friendships, and I love it.

Oh, and S.E.Hinton started writing it when she was 15 after her friend was jumped for being a 'greaser'. It was published when she was 18.

Mein Gott.

So, that is the book that I will be giving away as part of our great big generous all for the love and not because we're angling after new readers giveaway. Hurray! I hope you win! (Not you.)

To plot or not to plot, that is the question. Or that is a question.

INFINITE SKY began almost entirely without a plot. It also took over two years to write, which is quite a long time for what is a fairly slight novel. I don't think this is a coincidence. Those first few months of writing were a sort of blind exploration, done in the company of other writers on an MA at the University of East Anglia, and pretty much none of that blind exploration made it into the final draft. Which isn't to say it wasn't useful.

Second time round, everything was different. This unwritten book was already sold. It had a deadline. Cue panic on a never-before-seen-scale. Not knowing any better, I began the blind exploration again. My head was empty after letting go of the first book, but I thought I had no time to waste. I must get started!

In six months I wrote 70,000 words, none of which will make it into the book. I shifted protagonist three times! This was hard to accept at first. All those words becoming instantly back story or background? But how could I have found my lovely protagonist without the flailing? Not by plotting, I'm sure.

It seemed like total chaos, and was uncomfortable to go through to say the least, but all the characters I dicovered in this period have made it into the book. Sometimes two or three characters have been merged into one as recommended by the talented storytellers at Pixar but they made it. What's more, they are all very different, due to being essentially from different books. And in the end, I couldn't be happier with the protagonist I discovered last. I am so excited to tell you her story.

So far, so good. But. Book three, I plan to spend a good few months reading and living and refilling Inspiration Central before I begin. Then blind flailing can commence. Because it seems to be important. It forms the background of the story, and gives you a whole host of characters and histories and themes to get confused about over the next months. But perhaps 70,000 words is a little excessive.

All of this is not to say I don't plot at all. I just plot late, or when I'm stuck. When there seem tooooo many threads to ever make a coherent story I turn to drawing diagrams and trying to visualise said threads outside my tiny head. I use a mixture of plotting and making it up as I go along, but with the emphasis on the latter.

How about you? Are you a plotter or a blind explorer? Is it even possible to be strictly one thing or the other? Like everything else in life, I suspect not.

To plot or not to plot, that is the question. Or a question.

INFINITE SKY began almost entirely without a plot. It also took over two years to write, which is quite a long time for what is a fairly slight novel. I don't think this is a coincidence. Those first few months of writing were a sort of blind exploration, done in the company of other writers on an MA at the University of East Anglia, and pretty much none of that blind exploration made it into the final draft. Which isn't to say it wasn't useful.

Second time round, everything was different. This unwritten book was already sold. It had a deadline. Cue panic on a never-before-seen-scale. Not knowing any better, I began the blind exploration again. My head was empty after letting go of the first book, but I thought I had no time to waste. I must get started!

In six months I wrote 70,000 words, none of which will make it into the book. I shifted protagonist three times! This was hard to accept at first. All those words becoming instantly back story or background? But how could I have found my lovely protagonist without the flailing? Not by plotting, I'm sure.

It seemed like total chaos, and was uncomfortable to go through to say the least, but all the characters I dicovered in this period have made it into the book. Sometimes two or three characters have been merged into one as recommended by the talented storytellers at Pixar but they made it. What's more, they are all very different, due to being essentially from different books. And in the end, I couldn't be happier with the protagonist I discovered last. I am so excited to tell you her story.

So far, so good. But. Book three, I plan to spend a good few months reading and living and refilling Inspiration Central before I begin. Then blind flailing can commence. Because it seems to be important. It forms the background of the story, and gives you a whole host of characters and histories and themes to get confused about over the next months. But perhaps 70,000 words is a little excessive.

All of this is not to say I don't plot at all. I just plot late, or when I'm stuck. When there seem tooooo many threads to ever make a coherent story I turn to drawing diagrams and trying to visualise said threads outside my tiny head. I use a mixture of plotting and making it up as I go along, but with the emphasis on the latter.

How about you? Are you a plotter or a blind explorer? Is it even possible to be strictly one thing or the other? Like everything else in life, I suspect not.

To plot or not to plot, that is the question. Or a question anyway.

INFINITE SKY began almost entirely without a plot. It also took two years to write, which is quite a long time for what is a fairly slight novel. I don't think this is a coincidence. Those first few months of writing were a sort of blind exploration, done in the company of other writers on an MA at the University of East Anglia, and pretty much none of that blind exploration made it into the final draft. Which isn't to say it wasn't useful.

Second time round, everything was different. This unwritten book was already sold. It had a deadline. Cue panic on a never-before-seen-scale. Not knowing any better, I began the blind exploration again. My head was empty after letting go of the first book, but I thought I had no time to waste. I must get started!

In six months I wrote 70,000 words, none of which will make it into the book. I shifted protagonist three times! This was hard to accept at first. All those words becoming instantly back story or background? But how could I have found my lovely protagonist without the flailing? Not by plotting, I'm sure.

It seemed like total chaos, and was uncomfortable to go through to say the least, but all the characters I dicovered in this period made it into the book. Sometimes two or three characters have been merged into one as recommended by the talented storytellers at Pixar. What's more, they are all intriguingly different, because they are essentially from different books. And in the end, I couldn't be happier with the protagonist I discovered last. I am so excited to tell her story.

So far, so good. But. Book three, I plan to spend a couple of months reading and living and refilling inspiration central before I begin. Then I will allow the blind flailing to commence. Because it does seem to be important. It forms the background of the story, and gives you a whole host of characters and histories and themes to get confused about. But perhaps 70,000 words is just a little excessive.

And all of this is not to say I don't plot at all. Just that I plot late, or when I'm stuck. When there seem to be tooooo many threads to ever make a coherent story I turn to drawing diagrams and trying to visualise the threads outside of my tiny brain. I use a mixture of plotting and making it up as I go along, but with the emphasis on the latter.

Are you a plotter or a blind explorer? Is it even possible to be strictly one thing or the other? Like everything else in life, I suspect not.

How to fundraise with your writing...

One of the best things that has happened since I got my book deal is being able to help raise money for charities using my writing skills. Sometimes it can all be a bit self-absorbed and lonesome, writing full time. Necessarily, you spend a long time wandering the hinterlands of your own imagination. It's pretty marvellous when someone (real) outside of the hinterland asks you to do something to help, and you can say yes.




A couple of months ago, I offered a critique as part of a package to raise money for Pens For Paws, which is an online auction with writers, artists, and others from the publishing community to raise funds for Fat Kitty City, a no-kill, cage-free cat sanctuary in El Dorado Hills that also rescues dogs (as foster homes allow). It's a great charity, and I was so pleased to be able to help fundraise for it.




This month I am offering two 5000 words crits as part of a package to raise money for Crits For Water, which is an online auction with authors, agents and editors offering critiques of manuscript extracts and query letters to fundraise for charity: water. My fellow Lucky 13 author, Erin Bowman, is also offering a 5000 word crit. Bidding starts today, so please go and have a look!

How to Survive your First Author Event...

This Tuesday, I went to Chesterfield Library to read the opening chapters of Infinite Sky . Emma Pass (fellow Lucky 13) read from ACID and Helen Mort read from her upcoming pamphlet, Division Street too. We then answered questions about writing and our books from another Derbyshire writer, River Wolton.

River, Emma, me, Helen, and various unidentified back of the heads.

I was nervous about this event. Not only was it was the first time I'd answered questions in front of an audience, it was also the first time I'd read in front of my dad and his partner. It didn't help that I forgot my story (first time I have ever done it!) and had to print it on arrival. Or that I arrived late, due to casually assuming Chesterfield was just up the road rather than Actually Checking A Map.Or that my dad arrived even later due to having the same genetic disposition towards this terrible habit as me. (I hold him responsible as the Creator.)

I always feel I have too many arms right about this point.
Guess what? There was no need to worry! The audience was warm, my fellow panel members were fascinating, and most important of all: I knew all the answers to the questions! They were in my head, put together after years of experience. No need to revise at all! Also, my dad didn't walk out during my reading, or throw eggs at me. Really it was relief all round.

"Yeah, so basically I just sit at a desk and make stuff up."
It was lovely to see River, Emma and Helen again, and Ali Betteridge who set the whole thing up as part of Derbyshire Literature Festival. (Which continues until May 20, so it's not too late to have a look.) I look forward to returning to Chesterfield Library to read from Infinite Sky when it comes out in February.

Do you get nervous about reading in public? Would it scare you to have your dad in the audience? I love to hear from you.

Why Panels are Not Scary...

This Tuesday, I read the opening chapters of Infinite Sky along with Emma Pass (fellow Lucky 13) who read from ACID and Helen Mort who read from her upcoming pamphlet, Division Street. We also answered questions about writing and our books from another Derbyshire writer, River Wolton.

River, Emma, me, Helen, and various unidentified back of the heads.

I was nervous about this event. Not only was it was the first time I'd answered questions in front of an audience, it was also the first time I'd read in front of my dad and his partner. It didn't help that I forgot my story (first time I have ever done it!) and had to print it on arrival. Or that I arrived late, due to casually assuming Chesterfield was just up the road rather than Actually Checking A Map.Or that my dad arrived even later due to having the same genetic disposition towards this terrible habit as me. (I hold him responsible as the Creator.)

I always feel I have too many arms right about this point.
Guess what? There was no need to worry! The audience was warm, my fellow panel members were fascinating, and most important of all: I knew all the answers to the questions! They were in my head, put together after years of experience. No need to revise at all! Also, my dad didn't walk out during my reading, or throw eggs at me. Really it was relief all round.

"Yeah, so basically I just sit at a desk and make stuff up."
It was lovely to see River, Emma and Helen again, and Ali Betteridge who set the whole thing up as part of Derbyshire Literature Festival. (Which continues until May 20, so it's not too late to have a look.) I look forward to returning to Chesterfield Library read from Infinite Sky when it comes out in February.

Do you get nervous about reading in public? Would it scare you to have your dad in the audience? I love to hear from you, and as ever, commenters get put into the prize draw. Win a crit of 3,000 words OR a 500 word personalised story for yourself or a friend.

My First Panel Appearance

This Tuesday, I read the opening chapters of Infinite Sky along with Emma Pass (fellow Lucky 13) who read from ACID and Helen Mort who read from her upcoming pamphlet, Division Street. We also answered questions about writing and our books from another Derbyshire writer, River Wolton.

River, Emma, me, Helen, and various unidentified back of the heads.

I was nervous about this event. Not only was it was the first time I'd answered questions in front of an audience, it was also the first time I'd read in front of my dad and his partner. It didn't help that I forgot my story (first time I have ever done it!) and had to print it on arrival. Or that I arrived late, due to casually assuming Chesterfield was just up the road rather than Actually Checking A Map.Or that my dad arrived even later due to having the same genetic disposition towards this terrible habit as me. (I hold him responsible as the Creator.)

I always feel I have too many arms right about this point.
Guess what? There was no need to worry! The audience was warm, my fellow panel members were fascinating, and most important of all: I knew all the answers to the questions! They were in my head, put together after years of experience. No need to revise at all! Also, my dad didn't walk out during my reading, or throw eggs at me. Really it was relief all round.

"Yeah, so basically I just sit at a desk and make stuff up."
It was lovely to see River, Emma and Helen again, and Ali Betteridge who set the whole thing up as part of Derbyshire Literature Festival. (Which continues until May 20, so it's not too late to have a look.) I look forward to returning to Chesterfield Library read from Infinite Sky when it comes out in February.

Do you get nervous about reading in public? Would it scare you to have your dad in the audience? I love to hear from you, and as ever, commenters get put into the prize draw. Win a crit of 3,000 words OR a 500 word personalised story for yourself or a friend.