Critiques and Revamps

I've been drowning in a sea of critiques and feedback. All constructive I might add but I must confess to a bit of a colly wabble at the beginning of the week. I've joined an historical critique group where I'm feeding chapters that have gone through the mill on Writers Abroad. Now because my lovely pals over at WA are so brill at critiquing the story line for The Duke's Shadow is shaping nicely and most of the technical/proofing errors have been spotted by eagle eyes. They also do comment on historical facts and seek meaning.

Because I was concerned about the historical accuracy of my writing, I thought a group with experts in that particular genre (and many of them published I might add) would be a useful place to be. And it is. But also quite scary. I became a little overwhelmed with the attention to detail and fact but it's exactly what is needed.

What I now need to do is sift through some of these observations, rewrite where necessary, check out facts and ensure that I maintain the story whilst being as historically placed as possible. So, my task today (and probably much of the weekend) is to tackle chapter 3 for submission to WA and make notes for further research before revising for the historical lot.

And talking of revamping, I've changed the design of my blog. Dynamic, blogger calls it. Not sure about that, but it looks 'clean'...

Until Later...

Call For Submissions - Foreign Encounters

Foreign Encounters Anthology

Call for Submissions - Short Stories, Non-Fiction Articles and Poetry.

Organised by expat writers group - Writers Abroad

Writers Abroad will be publishing their third Anthology entitled ‘Foreign Encounters’.

We are seeking submissions of short stories and non-fiction pieces and poetry on the general theme of relationships around the world. The anthology will be print published and later available as an e-book.

This year Writers Abroad will be donating all profits made to charity, Books Abroad.  Books Abroad believes that education is required to solve the world's problems and is therefore helping educate school children worldwide by providing free, carefully chosen school books. Books Abroad is currently working in 84 countries and serving 977 educational establishments. This includes Africa, Asia, Central & Southern America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Author, Julia Gregson, whose best-selling novel 'East of the Sun' won the prestigious Prince Maurice Prize, will be writing the foreword.

To see our previous Anthologies (2010 & 2011) please visit Writers Abroad

Title: Foreign Encounters (Genre: Short Stories and Non-Fiction and Poetry)

Theme:  Relationships around the world. Your short story, non-fiction piece or poem can encompass people, animals and places. An encounter or alliance, a connection or kinship, love or liaison written from an ex-pat view point.

Contributions: Expat or former ex-pat writers, or those writers who are living outside the country of their birth.

Word Count: Fiction – up to 1700 words (flash fiction is welcome) Non-Fiction – up to 1000 words. Maximum of 30 lines for poetry.

Submission and Entry Rules - please read carefully as submissions may be rejected if they don't comply

• All submissions must be previously unpublished either in print or on-line.
• Submissions from ex-pats or former ex-pats only.
• Submissions should be received by midnight July 31st 2012.
• Submissions must be in English
• References to pornography or racism will not be accepted
• Manuscripts must be submitted via the link to Submittable at Writers Abroad
• The approximate word count should be inserted at the end of the submission
• Author name and title of the story or non-fiction piece should be placed in the left header of the document and page numbers in the right footer
• Manuscripts should be presented with double spacing and Times New Roman Font size 12.
• Queries only can be made via the contact button on the Submissions page
• Entries are free, only one entry per author, plus a short bio of 30 words at the end of each submission would be appreciated.
• Successful authors will be informed within two weeks after the closing date
• It will not be possible to provide feedback on submissions but successful stories may be edited and authors may be required to undertake minor changes for publication purposes
• Copyright will remain with the author and the stories will be published in an anthology in a number of formats.
• All proceeds from publication will be donated to the chosen charity.
• All entrants must be over 18.

Writers Toolkit - No 1 Favourite: Pen and Ink

Last month I mentioned my three favourite writing tools. Today I'm going to be talking about the first, my fountains pens and ink bottles. I know that makes two, but you can't really have one without the other, can you?

My obsession with pens started a long time ago as a child when my primary school teacher, whose name escapes me, started to teach me to write 'joined up'. I just loved the way the letters formed and flowed and how we were taught between three lines to make sure that we had the tall and the short parts of the letter in  a uniform fashion. That was probably the only time my writing was legible.
My passion for pen and ink developed as I grew up and observed my father making lists. I have lists of lists, written in all kinds of colours and styles. My OH hates them, especially if I put his name at the top!
But it was he who rekindled my love with the fountain pen. He bought me a 1950's Parker Snorkel pen as a gift several years ago and I fell in love with it. I was taken with the notion that maybe some other 'writer' had held this pen and it would afford me special gifts. It hasn't of course, but I have a collection of fountain pens which I use regularly and most often to write letters to family and friends.
Some of my writer buddies think I'm mad writing in long hand for first drafts, but that's the way I do things. It's not that I can't write directly onto the PC, that is how I write my blogs, but I just love to watch the paper fill up with ink.

However, there are some new fangled Digi pens out there, that write like a real pen (hallelujah!) but also store the words you have written and then it can be downloaded onto your PC. Up to 100 pages of A4, apparently. Sounds like progress and it won't make my fingers all inky.
But I don't think I will ever get rid of my collection, just the opposite, I hope to add to it using the fruits of my writing labours! Well, we can all dream can't we?
Until Later,

Character Interview: Penny

I've decided to start some character interviews - from my several works in progress, just to see if I can represent them as standalone and hopefully not too cliche... this is the first...

Name: Penny but George (see third question) insists on calling me Poppet.

Title of the book you appear in: The Good Life - a light-hearted romp about emigrating to Italy

Married: Yes, to George

Children: No, I am immature enough and George just wouldn't cope. We do have a Springer Spaniel called Hector though.

Job: In between them at the moment and not sure if I'll ever have a proper job again!

Favourite Music, Song or Lyric and why: Its Raining Men because wouldn't that just be wonderful? As long as they weren't all like George. Maybe a little George Clooney mixed with a spoonful of Brad?

What happened on the day you were born: The world rejoiced… no it snowed and it snowed an it snowed and my little brother had a hissy fit and wanted me to be sent back. He still feels like that a little still today...

Do you have a hobby: No, I try many things, mostly diets and exercise but honestly none of them work. Oh, wait probably eating cakes, with cream… and chocolate. No wonder I can't fit into that dress…But when we get to Italy I'm gonna have to learn how to grow vegetables, because George says we're going all self-sufficient. I always thought I was?

What is the one thing people don't know about you: I used to be a ballet dancer. Honest! Up until I was around thirteen then I was thrown out when I got too tall for the leading man to pick me up. That's tall not fat. And I get blisters if I do the ironing.

Are you organised or do you fly by the seat of your pants: Well, I love making lists. For George that is. He doesn't like them but I tend to find if I highlight all the outstanding items at breakfast he gets on with it. And I like crossing them off once finished in red pen. I blame my father.

Who would you invite to a last supper : Sarah McGillican (comedienne), John Carter (out of ER) and the Dowager Countess from Downton.

What would be on the menu: Onion Bhajis, Steak Salad and Chips, Profiteroles and lashings of red wine.

Marmite - Love it or Hate it: Love it only if it's spread on hot buttered white toast and eaten within seconds

In the Spotlight

The Duke's Shadow is getting lots of attention. It feels a little like being in the spotlight (or is that under the spotlight?) and I'm amazed how different the feedback has been and all of it incredibly useful, but I do feel that some decisions are going to have to be made. And how do I know if I'll make the right decision?

For instance, one critique has said that my first chapter is too fast paced, they like the multiple point of view and I need to bring some more to the show. The other has said that the pacing is right but I need to focus on one character, make him more redeeming and bring in some more description. I agree with  both, but will I lose anything in the rewrite? At this stage it's all a learning curve and one that I am enjoying more than I thought. I am getting positive feedback, despite that nasty gremlin on my shoulder who insists I'm a rubbish writer. And I am developing my story, making it stronger and , hopefully at the end of the day, a more satisfying read. After all, the reader has to be the focus for the challenge.
So, I shall rewrite, re-read and hopefully polish my first chapter and that's an achievement in itself!

So how do you make those crucial editing decisions, is it the majority vote, your gut feel or maybe just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best?

Until Later...

Oestre The Goddess of Easter

A short blog today, although here in Italy Good Friday is not seen as a Bank Holiday. So we've been making the most of the fine weather and getting the orti (veggie plots) ready for the busy planting time. So my writing hs taken a bit of a back seat but it's never far from my mind.

Oestre is the Anglo Saxon goddess of Easter and she is always depicted with the hare and eggs. Apparently, according to legend, the hare was once a bird who had its wings clipped and so the original egg is linked to this story. I only know this because this was one of our Monday Muses over at WA, although I've been a bit tardy and not submitted anything... yet. I love myths and legends, got me thinking about a theme for this years NaNoWriMo!

Oh, and by the way, I've started submitting The Duke's Shadow to an Historical Critique Group and have had some great feedback on Chapter One (which has already had the WA treatment so this is the icing on the cake). I've downloaded a bit of software called Natural Reader - recommended by a fellow writer and have listened to my story. It's a great way of finding errors you seem to skim over when reading yourself. The free 'voice' is  a little irritating at first but you soon get used to it.

Happy Easter whatever you may be celebrating it with - off to munch on some chocolate!
Until Later...

Kindle - Does it Light Your Fire?

Did you know that the word 'kindle' not only means to light a fire, or to arouse but also means a brood or litter, especially of kittens? (Thanks to the Free Dictionary for the information). Nowadays, when someone mentions a Kindle, it only means one thing. An electronic reader. I still jar when I hear the term. But as you know from a previous post, I did download the Kindle App to my PC to try it out. And I'm going to share my love - hate relationship with this piece of technology which many have embraced like a long lost friend.

Three Negatives about Kindle

1. Most importantly for me because of its 'feel'. I know I only have the app which just means reading it on my computer screen, but I have held and read on the real thing and it still feels like a computer, just a tiny one. I can't get the feeling I do when I flick through a real book, or the smell of the paper, or the patterns of the words, it's just not the same. Even with sound effects.
2. The books I've downloaded - which in the main have been reference books - have lost some of the printed benefits in the formatting. I know this is probably a publishing issue, but even so, tables and quotes and references are often lost. I've paid for a product which is corrupt.
3. Finally, the price of many reference books in their Kindle edition is just not competitive with their hard copy cousin. And with the issues of formatting, I feel as though I get a shoddy deal.

Three Positives about Kindle

1. One of the main reasons I downloaded the app was the speed at which I could access the publication. With a click of the button, the book was magically 'there' in front of me, and for an expat who has to rely on postage through two countries, then this is a big advantage.
2. Space. I'm running out of it in my bookshelf, which are bulging with how to and reference books on writing. Do I need anymore, my other half asks? Well, is the Pope a catholic is my usual response. This way I can squirrel away as many 'book's as a like without taking up any space - well not space that can be seen anyway.
3. I'm struggling with a third reason, but I want to be fair and I suppose I have to mention the environment. A Kindle owner must be added to the list of those who are 'saving the planet' in terms of paper production and the disappearance of trees and woodlands.

But I'm afraid, once a Luddite, always a Luddite and the book in printed format for me is the only way. But I'm up for a litter of kittens, if that helps....

Until Later...