Two Hectic Months!

Just a little bit of my white board.

Sometimes I wonder if I get anything done, then I have a couple of months like the last two and I wonder how I’ve kept up. June and July have been totally hectic!

In the last two months I have written 4 short stories, completed 3 editing commissions, been part of 4 writing events and several committee meetings, made 3 agent submissions, created a new blog, post on 3 different blogs, figured out a new ending for a book, and been as active as I could be on social media.

I wrote all the four short stories for submissions to an anthology, the shortest one is 6k, longest 10k. To be honest, two of these may not make it to anthologies, and go instead to collections of my own, maybe even reader magnets for joining my newsletter. Honestly, I don’t know but I have until the end of September to decide.

I love editing and helping authors with their work, and what I really love about this is that I get to read books I might not otherwise see. I’m also really blessed this last two months as all three books, while very different, were well written and enjoyable to read.

The writing events I’ve attended have taken a huge range of formats. During the PWA Crime Writing Week, I picked up some great tips. I chaired the CWA/Diamond Crime online event for National Crime Reading Month in which I interviewed Jaqueline Harret, Gwyneth Steddy, and Thorne Moore. I attended the Waterstones author evening with Philip Gwynne Jones for “The Angels of Venice”, which was a fun evening. And I was at Harrogate Crime Festival which led to the agents, see my last blog.

Committee Meetings have been for the Gŵyl Crime Cymru Festival which is shaping up nicely.

Agent Submissions are the three I secured at Harrogate, and I really hope that something comes of that.

I’ve started a new blog for steampunk, Shades of Aether, which I’ve already put nine blogs on, and schedule the next. Then there’s the Crime Blog, and of course this one.

The new ending is for the next Elaine Blake book. Because of the situation in Ukraine, I’ve been asked to move the action away from there, for obvious reasons. I selected the new location quickly. What’s taken a lot more brain power was how the characters and action will play out in that new location because it can’t be a simple case of changing the city name and leaving it as it. I’ve got the storyline sorted now, so it’s just a case of writing it now.

And of course, social media gets a mention because it’s something we all do. I admit I could be more active here, but there are only so many hours in a day. 

Yesterday’s Vampire

Yesterday I had to have a Vampire Day.

No I didn’t dress in Georgian attire and so suck some blood, but I did have to spend the day in a darkened room and hiding from the sun lest it turn me to a pile of ashes.

Basically, I had a migraine. Even light hurt.

But today the migraine is gone, swapped for a backache, though that was less swapped as paid for.

After day of doing nothing because I couldn’t do anything, today I have caught up.

I’ve shortened a load of curtains for my daughter, I’ve been to the supermarket, prepared a casserole for tonight’s dinner, planted up a load of pots for the front garden, and placed them out – which is what lead to the backache.

So now, I’ sitting down to blog, and catch up on some stuff on the internet stuff I couldn’t face yesterday. So, not much to say today, but feeling good, and wanted to share that.

3 Day Itch

I’ve taken a few days off.

• Christmas Eve because I had a lot of things to do around the house.
• Christmas Day because it was Christmas Day.
• Today, because I’m not sleeping well at night and didn’t get up until 2 this afternoon.  Then there were things to do done.

Now, things have come to a head. My head – it’s an itch. It seems to have overtaken me.

This is not unusual, three days of not writing and I can’t take any more. I have to write.  So I’m writing this as I’m in no mood to pick up on any of my current books, not got the concentration tonight.

But it is more evidence that I have a three day threshold on not writing. So here I have written, and the itch will abate, and hopefully tomorrow normal service will review.

Bloggers

Been reading an ARC, advance reader copy, in case anyone wonders.  This is only the second time I’ve every done this, and I oddly feel the pressure because I have to get it read and reviewed by a specific date.

I shouldn’t be pressured, because that date is more than two weeks away, and I’m loving this book so much I’m already a third of the way through on day 2. I don’t want to put it down.

But it made me think about all the hard work that book bloggers must go through to keep their reading and reviewing up to date. It has to be remembered that book bloggers don’t get paid, they don’t always get the books for free (though often), so to read that many books and write often in-depth reviews, is really quite impressive. 

I couldn’t get through reading one book a week to review, I’ve got too much else going on. I’ve doing the Goodreads reading challenge this year, and so far I’m 22 books in, and most of that because I listen to Audible books too.  I’ve only set a challenge of 48 books this year, which I don’t feel any pressure to fulfil. If I miss my own expectations, so what?  Reading is about relaxing and enjoying. I’m not comparing my reading to someone else, that’s pointless, this is not a competitive sport.

And if it was, the bloggers I know would have me beat hands down. And good on them, they do a fabulous job for all authors, and largely go unsung.  So, thank you bloggers. I am in awe.

January Review

So what happened in January – it started well, but finished on something of a low.

Locked Down is out for review, and the ebook is up for pre-order, the paperback will be up shortly, but Amazon doesn’t allow books to be pre-ordered if they are print on demand, seems odd, but it’s their game, their rules.  So that will be joining the ebook shortly.  I have one review on Goodreads already, so that’s good, and I’ll have to start the promotional stuff soon.

I have been working on Speed of Aether, but to steal a friends comment, Spead of Aether isn’t warp speed.  I’m behind where I wanted to be with this novel at this point.   I’ve reached 46k words, but I should have finished the book by now.

This isn’t because of the book, it is all the distractions, self-publishing especially.

I also took a week out of writing Speed to do a 5,000-word short story for an open competition I heard about. Now the bones of that were down quickly, but it took a fair amount of polish.  The problem was, I didn’t submit it because the feedback I got included the fact that I’d misrepresented a certain fetish.  And after looking into that fetish a bit more, I got the point.  I had.  And though the story was still a good read if you knew nothing about the fetish, I didn’t think it was the right thing to do to put it out there.  So more research needed.  Then I’ll re-write it, ignore the 5k limit and I suspect at some point it will be coming out as a novella.

I’m also down on wordcount, because I have barely been able to work on anything this last week.  I’m picked up a lung infection from somewhere and it’s laid me very low.  I can’t take a deep breath without it making me cough, movement or any form or exertion leaves me breathless – now I admit I’ve not been fit for a while, but I could walk up a flight of stairs without it making me call for oxygen, can’t do that right now. It’s seriously affected my ability to concentrate too.  You wouldn’t believe how long it’s taken to write this blog. Still, it’s an infection, I have been prescribed antibiotics and it will pass.  I just wish it would pass faster.

This year I promised myself that I would read and listen to more.  At least one audiobook and one paperback a month.  It doesn’t sound like much, but both are things that have suffered due to my full schedule.

This month I listened to “The Invisible Library” by Genevieve Cogman. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, Irene and Kai are such fun and the story had plenty of interest points to keep me listening.  The only downside was the narrator, her breathy voice worked well in some places and in others (which was, unfortunately, most places) it annoyed me.  It was like listening to a vicious argument spoken like an M&S Foood advert – This isn’t, an, argument, this, is, an M&S argument.  Really there are times when you want the action to feel active and that narrator lost that impact for me a few times.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s great book, I’d recommend reading it, I wouldn’t want to put you off listening to the audio either, but it was only a 4* for me.

This month I’ve mostly read an unpublished manuscript – which was brilliant!  It needs polish but if the author does what they need to do to get it published, I’m sure it will go down a storm. I’ve also read about half of “A Time for Silence” by Thorne Moore, very good Welsh-centric book. and part of “Dawn’s Early Light” by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris, one of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels.  These are very different genres and very different storytellers.  But that’s been a good thing because I’ve been able to match what to read to how I was feeling.  Both have their good points, have to admit I’m enjoying the steampunk more as it a joyous adventure story, but there’s a more of an emotional connection with Thorne’s characters.  To be honest, there’s a character in there that I really don’t like, mostly because he reminds me of people I know. But isn’t that what the writers set out to do, entertain and evoke an emotional response?

Anyway, that’s me done for now. I’m going to listen to some “Mortal Engines” now, as that’s about all I have the energy for. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I can.

Call Outs

I’ve kind of hit a roadblock with my WIP, so on the way to work this morning I decided I was going to write a blog tonight, you know, do something creative.  I had a theme in mind, and you’ll tell you what it is during this blog, because it’s still in here.  But during the day something else happened and I feel like sharing this.

If you follow my blog you will know that I can come out with some random stuff and the last piece was about the reaction to the latest Dr Who, click here to read more.  Today on Facebook I was ‘called out’ on it, by a white middle-aged internet using male, his description, for the lazy way I’ve approached that and was told that I’m the prejudiced one, because this person doesn’t know a single other person who’s upset by the news.

Well good for him.  And thanks to the other friend who waded in with some salient facts proving my case.  Not that the first friend would know because he flounced out of the conversation.

Now here are some things you should consider if you want to call me out on anything I write:

1. I welcome your comments, especially constructive criticism.  These are learning opportunities and I enjoy the chance to discuss any points.

2. Generalisations are just generalisations, they are not pointed attacks, they are just ways of expressing a point in a readily understandable way.

3. Just because you haven’t experienced it, don’t mean it ain’t happening.

4. This is a blog not national journalism.

5. Call me out, I will respond, that’s what discussions are about – two way exchange on points of view.

6. If you flounce out of the conversation with your male privilege held high remember I don’t have to make you look foolish, because you did it to yourself.

 

But one of the things that was thrown at me was that if I want to ‘get upset’ about discrimination I ‘need’ – yes need – to write about what Trump is doing to the LGBT communities.

Yes, I could do that.  I really could, I could rant for hours on that topic and many other misogynistic and/or downright stupid things that the American administration is doing, but here’s the thing.  I’m an EU – soon reluctantly to be British – citizen and this blog is mostly read by those in the UK.  I do have some Americans followers – and thanks for taking an interest wherever you are – but not many.  Besides, the thing is I don’t have a voice in an election I can’t vote in and most Americans have already realised what a dreadful mistake they’ve made.  Also, ranting against anything is a very negative thing to do and I am trying to make my life more positive.

Do I think people of the LGBT (and the ever growing acronym to LGBTQIA) community deserves a voice? Yes I do. Do I want to actively promote that voice?  Yes I do.  So what am I going to do about that – Well writing this blog was part of the plan.

I believe that people, more than administrations, can make a community what it should be, and I think it’s the quieter ways that will help integrate communities.  But I have a limited reach (hence comments above) and a limited skill set. I’m not a politician, not a great campaigner, nor am I a martyr, nor even a bleeding heart liberal.  Hell, I’m not even a journalist, just a blogger in that respect.

What I am is a writer, and a freelance editor.

So when one of the guys I freelance for comes to me and asks if I’d be willing to give my time and effort to help support the writing community to bring forth some good fiction with main characters who happen to be LGBTQIA, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

So Jefferson Franklin Editing is offering free and discounted edits to writers who advance the LGBTQIA cause – to help get more LGBTQIA stories into the hands of readers.

Now I will admit that I’ve never had a main character who is anything other than hetrosexual, because that’s what I know.  And I am aware of the very great offence I could cause if I were to poorly portray that community, and let’s face it, if I did poorly portray that or any other community – I’d deserve criticism.  There are in my books some characters who I think are probably gay, but I’ve never made a thing of that, because it hasn’t been relevant to the story.  And now I’ve actually committed that to the page, I think I’m going to have to find a way to amend the situation and try to better present this under represented section of the community.

So if you have a gay soldier, or a lesbian teacher, or a gender-fluid private investigator (oh how useful would that be?), if you’ve a transexual dragon-trainer, or an omni-sexual/pansexual(?) space-traveller, then let’s hear from you.  Mind looking at those I may be a limited in my thinking, so please, please, please, come up with something original to surprise and delight in whatever genre you want.

Here’s the link with all the details – 2017 LGBTQIA Edit Giveaway.  And I look forward to seeing some of your work.

(Right now I’m going to go cogitate just how useful it might be to actually be gender fluid investigator because I can see that could bring up some really interesting plot and action possibilities.)

 

 

 

 

Fiction Flashes

Another month gone by in a flash!

I’ve been quite quiet on social media and blogging through June because I have been absolutely up to my eyeballs with stuff – more over stuff I wasn’t expecting to have to do.

If you’ve read previous blogs, you will have seen that I said I had a contract for my steam punk novel – well I had a verbal contract but we all know that they aren’t worth the paper they’re not printed on, right?  Well, finally I got the real contract through.  While there was nothing actually wrong with the contract – the publisher had been fair and clear in all the clauses, but there was a tie in factor I was a long way short of being comfortable with, and a get out clause that was unnecessarily punitive.  When I saw everything set out in black and white I saw that actually it wasn’t the contract for me.

So after a sleepless night, because I didn’t want to let the publisher down (she’s a lovely lady and I’d be happy to contribute more short stories to their anthologies), I knew I had to do something I never thought I would – I refused a publishing contract. This was even weirder and riskier than when I broke with my agent.  I hated doing it – really did – but my gut was telling me that it was the right way to go and sometimes you just have to listen to the gut.

The result of which is that I am now going to self-publish Shades of Aether.  <<Bites nails to the quick with nerves>>  Luckily all the hard work was already done, structural and line edits, only the proofreading to go.

So June has been a whirlwind of finding a proofreader – thankfully Jefferson Franklin Editing made room for me – by bumping another job I had booked with them.  Then there’s the cover to think about – luckily another friend of my is a publisher (very different genre so she wouldn’t publish a steampunk book) and she gave me recommendation of a cover design company she uses.  Got in touch with them – explained what had happened and why I needed a quick turn around – and they said – we’re on holiday for two weeks so not sure, what’s your design brief?  Luckily I had one, we exchanged a few emails and they’ve stepped up to the plate with an agreement to get me draft design by end of July which should just about give me time to get it all set up for a decent print run in time to take copies to The Asylum – the Lincoln steampunk convention – not medical institution!

So – phew!

Then there’s my debut crime novel to think about – more on that later

The 300

 

After yesterday’s rant I got another Twitter follower.  This happens occasionally, but what is odd is that for months I was stuck at two-hundred-and-ninety-something.  I’d be at 293, then up to 298 and I’d think, “yes I’ll get the three hundred any day”, but the next check I’d be back to 291.

Then suddenly, I jumped up to 305 followers and I’ve been up there since, now on 330.  Okay, these are no heady heights as twitter follower numbers are concerned, but for someone who is actually really uncomfortable in social situations, this is the kind of networking I can do.

What is odd, is that I still don’t know why this follower up and down happens.  We, guess I must bore or offend some people so they unfollow me, but what do I do to get followers?  In my day job I work constantly with large datasets and do lots of statistical analysis, but I can’t find any particular links between my tweets and people following or unfollowing me. I do always try to thank people when I notice they followed me, it’s the polite thing to do.

It’s the same with my blog, this blog.  I have followers (36) and the stats tell me that I’ve had 355 visitors, so people aren’t sticking around, which is fine, I don’t follow as many blogs as I read either.

The point is that I can’t find a reason for it, what interests other people?  What attracts them to reading me? And that raises another issue in my head.  If I can’t find what people are interested in on my twitter and blog, how can I be sure what I write in my books is something people will want to read?  Answers on a postcard, please? (or in the comments since it’s easier)

2014 Review

When I started this blog, I had no particular idea what I was going to say or do with it, just talk about what I’m up to, there’s been a few rants along the way, but hey that’s life.  One of the things I was hoping was that it would help me be more positive about things, and it has.  Instead of spending the year thinking, “Oh I’ve done nothing again”, it’s made me look back each month and appreciate that actually I have done stuff, I have achieved things.

So as we start the New Year, I thought I’d have a review of what I’ve achieved this year.

Of course, where I have to start is what did I say I’d do this year?  Look back on my blog and you’ll find I said the following:

So what at the plans for 2014?

1. Get another book published.
2. Write a monthly blog and a weekly Facebook update  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gail-Williams/261748000603425.
3. Enter at least 6 competitions this year.
4. Finish the romance book.
5. Write book two of my Murder Tydfil series.

So did I do it – actually no, which is more depressing than I hoped this blog would be.  I got 3 of the 5 done, which is 60% and I think that just about gets me a ‘B’.  So where did I fall down?  That would be points 1 and 5.  Every agent and publisher I sent something to has rejected my books, some with some good feedback, but let’s face it, the only feedback any of us wants to hear is “Yes, I’ll take that one”.  Then there’s Murder Tydfil book 2, I’ve started it twice, but it’s just not working, so after a grand total of about 50,000, they’ve all ended up in the bin.

My blogging actually went really well, excluding this post, I’ve done 16 blogs this year, slightly more than my target, and they’ve been more positive than I would have expected, even the one about depression wasn’t that depressing.  So I’m proud of that.  Similarly I’ve got into updating my Facebook status a lot more frequently too.  Added to that, I’ve started to use Twitter much more, which I find an interesting medium, the restriction of 140 characters makes you really think about what you write.  Every word must count.

I started the year having won the Topsy Evans prize for literature, which I didn’t expect.  I entered way more than 6 competitions this year, and was very fortunate to be shortlisted for the CWA Margery Allingham Short Story Competition.  Additionally, I’ve been placed in a number of internal competitions for the Writers’ Circle.  I also had two World War One short stories published in the anthology “Unforgotten: The Great War 1914 – 1918”. I’ve got one short story on the go at the moment, for a submission to an anthology, which I’m hopeful for, but won’t hear about till 2015.

I did write a full romance book, supernatural romance as it happens.  It’s been edited and sent off to a publisher, still waiting to hear, but that’s not unusual.

Added to all that I also edited 10 full length novels, and never mind how many shorts and chapters.  And I managed to keep down a full time job.

Don’t forget, it you like crime thrillers and want to read a full manuscript, “Foreshadows” is still available.

So all in all, I feel 2014 was a successful year and I hope 2015 will be as good if not better.