Sally Jenkins's Blog, page 5

On the panel . . . with cupcakes!

Despite having researched tips for panel events for Public Speaking for Absolute Beginners, I’d never actually taken part in such an event until last Friday night when I was part of a Women’s Fiction Panel. I sat alongside the charismatic Kim Nash and the fabulous Florence Keeling at The Museum of Cannock Chase.

Kim was a very able chairperson with a wonderful flow of writing-related conversation starters which showed differences and similarities in the way the three of us approach our work.

Florence is a pantster who sallies forth with no definite plan about where the story is going. I plan but mostly veer away from it once the characters start appearing on the page and I realise that what I planned for them won’t work with their personalities.
Kim lights a candle on her desk to signal the switch from working at home in her day job to embarking upon her ‘writing time’. Florence doesn’t have space for a dedicated writing area and so you’ll find her on the settee with the laptop on her knee and a Harry Potter film on TV as background. I work in the smallest bedroom in silence – any music or radio noise is too distracting.
Kim and I write the first draft without reading back and editing what we’ve done the day before. Florence edits each section as she goes.
Florence and Kim both started writing initially as an escape from tough times in their lives. I got addicted after seeing my name and contribution in print on a women’s magazine letters’ page and receiving a cheque in the post for my trouble.
Florence and I have each self-published several books, as well as having novels traditionally published.

A very exciting part of the proceedings were the cupcakes(see above!) Each one sported a little cocktail stick holding one of our book covers – fantastic!

Did I learn anything about panel events?
If you’re worried about your mind going blank when faced with a question (as I was!), ask the chair for a list of possible question areas in advance. I felt more comfortable knowing the subjects that might be covered. This is also gives you chance to think about how you could turn a question around if it’s one you might find awkward.
Remember to talk to the audience. It’s OK to glance at your fellow panelists occasionally but the audience wants to see your face and hear your answer! Without the audience there would be no event.
If the venue is plying you with tea and coffee, don’t drink too much before the event starts – a toilet visit part way through the discussion might be frowned on.
Find out what the arrangements are for selling books. The lovely Press Books and Coffee Shop kindly attended my event to sell copies of all of our traditionally published books. But I only discovered later that I could have taken my self-published books to sell directly as well.
Relax. It’s not the Spanish Inquisition! The rest of the panel are human too and it’s always a lot of fun talking about writing and books with others who are passionate about the subject.

All Change at Jenkins Towers …

There’s been a bit of stuff going on around here lately, which is making my long held vision of becoming a fulltime writer hover on the horizon. This is NOT because I have suddenly hit the New York bestseller lists and the money is pouring in, although as I write, Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners has an orange ‘bestseller’ flag in Amazon’s Electronic Publishing category – which may have disappeared by the time you read this.

119419479 © Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime.com

My current situation has arisen because of redundancy from my part-time job in IT and being at very high risk of losing my library position as well (due to council cuts). On top of this, the gearbox in my old car is making clunky noises and will cost more than the car is worth to replace. So, there’s been a lot to think about and not a lot of writing or blogging has been happening.
However, I have not been totally idle. I’ve been preparing an author talk based around the inspiration for Little Museum of Hope. The first outing for the talk is Friday 9th February at Mere Green library in Sutton Coldfield – I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will be well received!
And on the evening of Friday 23rd February I will be taking part in a Women’s Fiction panel at the Museum of Cannock Chase, organised by the lovely Kim Nash. It’s the first time I’ve been involved in a panel event so it will be an interesting experience.

Moving away from my life, I’ve spotted an unusual ‘competition’ for historical fiction writers from Sapere Books. On their website are a selection of outlines for historical fiction series. Choose one of the briefs and write a synopsis and the first three chapters of the first book in the series. As the prize will be a contract for a five-book series, ideas and outlines for the next four books in the series are also welcomed. The competition appears to be open to all writers, published or unpublished but do check all the details. The closing date is 31st May 2024.

Finally, if you enjoy reviewing WWII sagas, take a look at Helen Yendall’s latest book on Netgalley. I think it might tempt you!

Three Free Opportunities for Writers

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve come across a few free opportunities for writers.

119395801 © Pras Boonwong | Dreamstime.com

Firstly, Indie Novella is offering a nine week online writing course free to successful applicants. It starts on 30th January 2024 and the deadline for applications is 29th January 2024. It is a self-paced course with learning material and writing exercises posted each Tuesday. Participants will have until Sunday night to complete each short assignment and interact with other writers on each exercise. Participants will have access to the learning materials for the entire course and beyond. At the end of each week Indie Novella editors will provide their feedback on a handful of assignments. Applications can be made now via the Indie Novella website.

Secondly, author, Freya North, is running a series of Instagram Live chats with writers on a Wednesday at 1 pm. Seek Freya out on Instagram, where she is @freya_north_author and find out who she’s talking to next.

Thirdly, here is an opportunity for new writers that has been bouncing around social media for the last couple of weeks. The Peoples’ Friend magazine is offering one lucky writer a £10,000 writing bursary! Unfortunately for me, entrants must be amateur, unpublished writers.
To enter, submit a short story of up to 2,000 words in the genre of either romance, thriller or comedy. The closing date is Monday 5th February 2024.
As always, read all the terms and conditions before entering.

Finally (and unfortunately this is not free!), those interested in cracking the short story market might find the short story collection, Hit or Miss?, useful. It contains a range of short stories and invites the reader to play magazine editor and competition judge in order to work out which stories were successful in print or competition and which didn’t quite hit the mark.

To Blog or Not to Blog?

To blog or not to blog?

That is the question many are dwelling on at the moment. Some bloggers have given up, some have switched to Substack and some have decided to concentrate on newsletters. 

I started this blog in the autumn of 2010 and love the fact that many subscribers have been with me since then (thank you! – and I hope we’ll continue to be virtual friends). I’ve gained a lot from blogging, including discipline (it’s not easy to dream up topics to blog about), contacts (it’s so lovely when people take the time to ‘like’ or comment, especially on a regular basis) and knowledge (from the lovely guest bloggers I’ve hosted and from research I’ve done for my own posts). I hope you’ve all gained something from it too!

For me, the answer to my initial question is: Continue to Blog. 

I’ve thought about Substack but don’t know enough about it or how it beats a standard blog. If you’ve got experience – please enlighten me because I never seem to have the time to investigate it fully.
I have a newsletter but, so far, I’ve only used that for significant book or writing news rather than the general information and titbits I put on here. If you’re curious, signup here. Plus casual browsers stumble across this blog in a way that they wouldn’t find back issues of a newsletter.
I don’t want to abandon communicating with writers and readers because it’s taken a long time to capture you all (!) and I think an online presence is important.
So, you’ll find me here for a bit longer.

I’ve just looked back through my WordPress statistics to find out which have been my most popular pages over the last 13 years. Here are the top four:

About Sally Jenkins

Icebreakers for Creative Writing Adult Education Classes

The Seven Sisters Series by Lucinda Riley

Instant Writing

The statistics for 2023 show that I wrote 31 blog posts and August 15th was the day this site got the most hits, which was also the day I published the post about My First RNA Conference and an Award.

Finally, given this is the start of a brand new year and many of us are setting goals and challenges, here are a few publications that might be useful:
For those dipping a toe in the world of self-publishing – Kindle Direct Publishing for Absolute Beginners and Kobo Writing Life Publishing for Absolute Beginners.
For those wanting to build self-confidence or to promote their books via author talks:
Public Speaking for Absolute Beginners.

 

Five Myths on Writing

Leafing through issue 117 of nb. magazine an article about the myths around being a writer caught my eye. What do you think about some of the ‘mistruths’ debunked in the feature?

Write Every Day
Katie Doyle, author of the short story collection I Meant It Once, struggles with this. She writes only when she feels like it and when she is caught up in it. Anita Frank, author of The Good Liars, can’t write every day because she is the carer of a disabled child. But she does try to think about her novel every day so that when she gets to her laptop, the words flow.

Wait for Inspiration to Strike
Tom Mead, author of The Murder Wheel, used to waste time waiting for inspiration to come along. Over the years, he’s learned that you’ve got to actively find it yourself or you’ll forever procrastinate.

Writing is an Easy, Romantic Occupation
Linwood Barclay, author of The Lie Maker, tells it like it is. “The reality?” he says in the article, “Staring at the computer screen until blood starts beading up on your forehead.” And he talks about the worry that the next book will sink like a stone.

Perfection will Pour Out
Tony Parsons, author of Who She Was, emphasises the point that perfection NEVER arrives with the first draft and an author must write draft after draft after draft before a novel is anywhere near good enough. Writing a novel is like climbing a mountain.

There is a ‘Right’ Way to Write
Chris Merritt, author of Committed, says that while it can be helpful to know how others write, ultimately, each individual has to find what works for them. Harriet Evans, author of The Stargazers, agrees and advises trying different things to establish what time of day and what method of writing self-accountability spurs you on.

Apologies for the lack of clickable links in the above section but WordPress decided to throw a wobbly and kept removing them. Don’t ask me why!
If you’d like to read the full article (and lots more bookish stuff!) the magazine can be ordered from nb. magazine. (Fingers crossed that link stays in place!)

From a personal point of view, I find that writing as often as I can keeps my head in the story – but there’s always at least one or two days a week when I can’t get to my desk. The inspiration for a fully formed novel NEVER descends from the heavens and teasing it out of nowhere can be like pulling teeth – but it has to be done! There is nothing easy about writing – it requires time, effort and self-discipline. My first drafts are always awful but it’s easier to rewrite and edit a terrible manuscript than it is to aim for perfect paragraphs from the outset. After a lot of experimentation I’ve found something that gets my bottom on the chair to write – the daily (free!) Zoom writers’ hours organised by the London Writers’ Salon.

What works for you?

(P.S. If you’re considering of ‘going wide’ with your self-publishing in 2024, now is the time to read Kobo Writing Life Publishing for Absolute Beginners – currently only 99p or free with Kindle Unlimited.)

Novel and Flash Fiction Writing Competitions!

I’ve received an email from the lovely people at Farnham Literary Festival about their Farnham’s First Five Thousand competition for the first 5,000 words of a novel plus a 300-word synopsis. The novel does not have to be finished but it must be unpublished. Any theme or genre is allowed. There will be 5 shortlisted submissions, and a further 15 long-listed submissions.
First Prize is £100 + a Literary Critique,  the runner up receives £75 and three shortlisted entries will receive £50. Closing date is Thursday 1st of February 2024 and there is a £5 entry fee.
Don’t forget to read all the terms and conditions!

The Welkin Mini Flash Fiction Prize is also currently running and entry is FREE! Closing date is 2nd January 2024. There is no set theme but entries must be no more than 100 words. Titles are not included in the word count. Prizes are in the form of vouchers redeemable against Matt Kendrick Editorial Services: 1st place £50 voucher, 2nd place £20 voucher, Highly commended £10 voucher.
Again, do check the terms and conditions.

In other news, I’m always very grateful for positive reviews on Amazon but I’m at a loss to know what I did to earn the 4* one for Little Museum of Hope, which reads, “Not read yet building my library.” However, I do feel honoured to be part of that library and I hope the reviewer feels the book is worth 4* when she/he eventually reads it!

Finally, if you’re still searching for stocking fillers or want a treat for yourself, Waiting for a Bright New Future is now available in paperback as well as being only 99p on Kindle.

A Commercial Break

Drum roll and trumpet fanfare!

A massive thank you to everyone who has preordered Waiting for a Bright New Future – it will have landed on your kindle in the early hours of today. Hooray!

If you missed the preorder, you can buy now with instant delivery. Plus the paperback should be available very soon too.

The NetGalley advance reviewers have been busy reading Waiting for a Bright New Future and the response has been favourable (phew!)

“I loved the characters in the book and the humour thrown in amongst the sadness and how the main character was a man in his 50s discovering his life again after the death of his father and starting over again.” Helen A.
“I love that it wasn’t a simple ending but it fit perfectly with how each of the characters were set up.
Definitely a book I recommend.” Reviewer 1028737.
“This book makes you feel everything, the joy, the sadness, the anger, all the emotions you can think of, bundled up together and woven into such a perfect story.” Reviewer 810933.

According to my publisher, ChocLit (part of Joffe Books), this book will appeal to lovers of books by Jenny Colgan, Mike Gayle, Jill Mansell, Sue McDonagh, Laura Pearson or Beth Moran. I can’t believe that they’ve slotted me into such good company!

Still wondering whether it’s worth squandering the grand sum of 99p on Waiting for a Bright New Future? Here’s the blurb:

Is it ever too late to start living for the first time?

Florence is buoyant and colourful, an ageing tribute band singer who’s full of life. And the complete opposite of staid Stuart, her new landlord.
Stuart’s not sure about having a lodger. And he’s not used to the singing and dancing that now fills the house. Nor the pairs of voluminous knickers left to dry on every spare surface in the bathroom.
Florence is everything Stuart has never allowed himself to be: bold, fearless, unabashedly herself. He’s spent his life putting everyone’s needs ahead of his own, avoiding risks and hiding from chances.
Soon Florence is persuading Stuart to dance with her in the kitchen. And when his childhood sweetheart shows up again, it’s Florence who encourages him to make his move.
Florence can see how much he’s changed, even if he won’t admit it. But Stuart has changed. He’s no longer the timid man he was when they first met.
Life is about to give Stuart a second chance, if only he has enough courage to grasp it . . .

Waiting for a Bright New Future falls into the UpLit (Uplifting Literature) genre and will leave you feeling hopeful and positive for the coming of 2024.

Little Museum of Hope – FREE on Kindle!

Just a very quick post to let you, my faithful followers (thank you – I do genuinely appreciate your loyalty) know that ‘Little Museum of Hope‘ is currently (for a limited time only) free on Kindle. Please, fill your boots while you can!

What the reviewers say:
’Fascinating, often emotional, addictive reading. Recommended.’ Coco

’Something special that’s bound to intrigue.’ Isabelle D.

And don’t forget that my next book for ChocLit/Joffe Books, ‘Waiting for a Bright New Future‘ is only 99p on preorder.
If you order it now, it will drop onto your Kindle on December 5th. A paperback will be out too for those of you who love a real book to handle.

End of commercial break and I’m headed back down that Nano rabbit hole!

A Competition, Kobo and NaNoWriMo

I’m deeply down the NaNoWriMo rabbit hole this month, trying to churn out words that don’t resemble a plate of cold, congealed spaghetti. First drafts of a novel are never easy!

(For those of you outside the writing community, November is National Novel Writing Month when we attempt to write 50,000 words of a novel in the 30 days of November i.e. 1,700 every single day for 30 days.)

In other news, I was delighted to be invited by GeniusLink to contribute to their blog on the subject of Self-publishing on the Kobo Ebook Platform, based on my book Kobo Writing Life Publishing for Absolute Beginners. Kobo is big in the Canadian market and offers worthwhile opportunities to those authors who choose not to stay exclusive to Amazon.

This free-to-enter competition popped into my Inbox this week. I seem to remember something about it last year so it may be an annual thing. THE GLENCAIRN GLASS CRIME SHORT STORY COMPETITION is looking for crime stories of up to 2,000 words based on the theme ‘A Crime Story Set In Scotland’.
First prize is a lovely £1000 plus a couple of extras! Closing date is 31st December 2023.
Don’t forget to check all the details plus the terms and conditions before starting to create your story.

Finally, don’t forget the special preorder price of just 99p for my next novel, Waiting for a Bright New Future – to be published on December 5th by ChocLit (an imprint of Joffe Books). It’s a story about family, friends and facing your fears to find love after fifty.

Now I’m going back down that rabbit hole!

Waiting for a Bright New Future

‘Waiting for a bright new future’ – does that describe you or someone you know?

We’re all guilty, at some point in our lives, of hoping that something will turn up out of the ether and improve our lives. It might be a better job, a new relationship or big win on the lottery. As we get older, we learn things like that rarely happen unless we take positive action ourselves in order to turn our lives in the direction we’d like them to go.

Stuart Borefield is the middle-aged hero of my new novel, Waiting for a Bright New Future. The death of his father and the selfish attitude of his older brothers mean that Stuart will soon be homeless – unless he takes positive action to chase after that bright new future which has eluded him for decades. As in our lives, things aren’t plain sailing for Stuart. He has to find himself a job, decide how he feels about his new lodger and take on commitments that, on the surface, he’d rather not.  The most difficult thing is finding the confidence to pursue these things. Simply waiting for that bright new future isn’t going to produce results for Stuart, just as it won’t for the rest of us.

Waiting for a Bright New Future will be published by Joffe Books on December 5th 2023 and is available to preorder on Kindle now for only 99p.

I hope you grow as fond of Stuart as I did while I was writing about him and throwing obstacles in his way.

And remember: sitting back and waiting for that bright new future doesn’t work – you need to go out and grab it!