Archive for August, 2007

August 15, 2007 | 3 Comments

I decided to remove the message I put up earlier as really, I couldn’t think how to move on from it without seeming crass. So more tomorrow. Thanks for your messages anyway. P x

August 13, 2007 | 11 Comments

I was going to say I was beavering away, bashing away or had my head down but all of those phrases probably have connotations in some cultures so I am working. I am just about to hit 60k in Just Say Yes and the most dramatic moment of the whole book (and there have been quite a few!) There was a talk at the conference about how pace should pick up at the end of a novel and I think that happens naturally. I think it will be about 70k when I’ve finished - just one small sub-plot thread that I haven’t decided how to tie up yet, which is appropriate as it is about a missing person. Should it be happy or sad or a mix of the two? I’m inclined towards the last.

I will run the Wish You Were Here paperback comp later this week; just waiting on a small detail.

Voice

I have been reading a lot of blog posts about how you develop your own ‘writing’ voice. I think that if you’re writing romance, you should, of course, read a lot of romances. But I’d strongly urge any aspiring romance author to read widely in a lot of other genres such as crime (Ian Rankin’s Rebus has glorious male POV’s IMHO), thrillers, literary, non-fiction, comedy, chick-lit etc. Maybe one romance, followed by something completely different.

I’d suggest watching copious amounts of drama to see how it is structured and paced and to listen to the dialogue. I think that reading and watching quirky stuff helps give your voice the edge it needs. You don’t want a bland, one-size-fits-no-one voice, do you? You want your voice to sound out loud and clear with tons of personality and you can’t please everyone…

Let me know what you think helps bring out your writing voice.

August 7, 2007 | 7 Comments

Two nice and one silly thing happened this morning:

1. I got a surprise advance paperback of Wish You Were Here. Oh,it’s yummy. Really. When I get some more I’ll run a contest to win one. I also owe one to Diane, who won my Kate walker blog competition and to Julie B from SingleTitle.com

2. The guy who used to live next door to me here in our village has finalled in the Men’s Health Cover Model Competition. He’s called Bryn and I can’t hot link his pic so click here to see his abs! He’s also a lovely guy.

3. Apparently someone (unattributed) has commented in a newspaper article that the RNA do’s are ‘handbags at dawn’. Well, there is some staggering back from the summer party at dawn (I’ve done it) and we do occasionally covet one another’s handbags/outfits etc but as for fighting… hilarious and very unfair but maybe it increases out street cred!

See Michelle Styles‘ blog for more.

August 6, 2007 | Comments

Wish You Were Here Launch Events

* James Redshaw, Lichfield - Sat, Sept 8th from 11am-1pm.

* Waterstones, Stafford - Wed, Sept 12th at 6pm. Reading/chat and signings.

2 Comments

If you’ve thought you might like to write for Little Black Dress, you must read this.

Headline Senior Commissioning Editor, Cat Cobain, gave a talk at the RNA Conference last month. Liz Fenwick has written a report that’s a must read.

And since one of Cat’s tips is to have an Internet free day and focus on your book, I’d better get off!