Kathy Martin's Blog - Posts Tagged "plots"
Presents, plots and Harry Potter
Forrest Gump’s mama likened life to a box of chocolates because ‘you never know what you’re gonna get’. I think the same can be said for book signings because whenever I do one I know I’m going to have the pleasure of meeting a rich assortment of interesting characters.
My signing in Fishguard last Saturday was no exception. One of the first people I spoke to was a delightful would-be author who told me he had been working sporadically on a novel for fifteen years and was still nowhere near completion. His problem, he said, was that he hadn’t come up with a convincing plot for his book, a work of contemporary fiction set in local government. He was aiming for plenty of twists and turns with a strong femme fatale at the centre of things but try as he might, his ideas simply weren’t working out. Of course I had no neat answer to offer but I did suggest that having come so far, he should push on to the end since his story might resolve itself if he could overcome his reluctance to continue.
A somewhat unexpected encounter was with a woman who creates the most exquisite, period-inspired corsetry. She had brought along a bag full of samples designed to help women achieve wasp waists and heaving bosoms. I thought they looked magnificent but with others waiting to see me, sadly I didn’t have the time to admire them properly.
Happily for authors everywhere, it seems that books remain a very popular gift option. Many of those buying a copy of The Woodville Connection asked me to inscribe a personal message for a loved one, explaining that it was to be given as a birthday or Christmas present. One lady went a step further; she told me that she was going to read the book first, very carefully, and then wrap it up and give it to her friend. I’m sure others do this but I bet few are so open about it.
I’ll finish with a story from a signing I did in Bath a few years ago. There I met a man, a retired publisher, who told me ruefully that he had been one of the editors to turn down J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book. He justified his decision by saying he hadn’t seen anything special in the book. Poor man, I think that’s up there with the record company that rejected The Beatles because ‘guitar groups are on the way out’.
My signing in Fishguard last Saturday was no exception. One of the first people I spoke to was a delightful would-be author who told me he had been working sporadically on a novel for fifteen years and was still nowhere near completion. His problem, he said, was that he hadn’t come up with a convincing plot for his book, a work of contemporary fiction set in local government. He was aiming for plenty of twists and turns with a strong femme fatale at the centre of things but try as he might, his ideas simply weren’t working out. Of course I had no neat answer to offer but I did suggest that having come so far, he should push on to the end since his story might resolve itself if he could overcome his reluctance to continue.
A somewhat unexpected encounter was with a woman who creates the most exquisite, period-inspired corsetry. She had brought along a bag full of samples designed to help women achieve wasp waists and heaving bosoms. I thought they looked magnificent but with others waiting to see me, sadly I didn’t have the time to admire them properly.
Happily for authors everywhere, it seems that books remain a very popular gift option. Many of those buying a copy of The Woodville Connection asked me to inscribe a personal message for a loved one, explaining that it was to be given as a birthday or Christmas present. One lady went a step further; she told me that she was going to read the book first, very carefully, and then wrap it up and give it to her friend. I’m sure others do this but I bet few are so open about it.
I’ll finish with a story from a signing I did in Bath a few years ago. There I met a man, a retired publisher, who told me ruefully that he had been one of the editors to turn down J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter book. He justified his decision by saying he hadn’t seen anything special in the book. Poor man, I think that’s up there with the record company that rejected The Beatles because ‘guitar groups are on the way out’.
