I love a spreadsheet. And when I started submitting my finished manuscripts to agents I had a good one. It had conditional formatting and filters and dates and formulas and I religiously updated it, recording the rejections in a sadomasochistic torture for the soul. When I started out submitting (or querying), I had no idea …
Continue reading "Querying Agents – just how long does this take?"
This year I haven’t read as much as I’d like, getting caught up in my own writing. Finishing and editing book 2 has taken priority, and often I avoid reading at the same time to prevent other people’s styles and ideas seeping into my own. But I have read some crackers, and it was tricky …
The End. Nothing feels better than typing those two little words, knowing you have finally committed a story to the page. First draft finished. If you can believe it, I started writing this book on 31st January 2017. It's taken me nearly 18 months to get to this point, writing book two on and off, …
Starting to feel a bit more real now it's out there in the wild.... Out here in the Bookseller today.... click here to read.
So today was the first time out on the bike. Or, more specifically, the first time out clipping into the bike. For those unfamiliar with the world of cycling, 'clipping in' is when you take the rather strange decision to attach your new expensive cycling shoes very firmly to the pedals of your bike. It …
The books I have loved this year, by coincidence, have all been by women and for the same reason: their writing is just incredible. All have an amazing mastery of the English language, showing worlds and characters in such a way that make them feel very true and real. So much so, I wanted to …
It’s hard because you are different. There’s still so much you can’t do that we have to help you with. It’s easy because you’re unique. We have no formula to follow, or a list of known symptoms to worry about. We can make it up as we go along and adapt to what you need. …
After an impatient few months, checking my e mails constantly like a lovesick teenager, I am excited to announce I have an agent! The lovely Ed Wilson at Johnson & Alcock loves my book and will be our enthusiastic guide through the tricky world of publishing over the next few months and beyond. I am …
This year I had one big aim – to read more. Logic dictates that if you’re going to become a better writer, you’d better become a better reader, so this year I’ve attacked my bookshelves with abandon. From non-fiction, to YA, and everything in between, I’ve managed to get through 31– and I’m not quite …
So your son did a wee in the hallway, And your daughter had a tantrum in the road. You’ve run out of milk, the petrol’s at low, Your boss is practically speaking in code. You were late to work, the parking’s a mess, You’ve had a shit day from hell. It pissed down with …
Continue reading "I think we’re all doing rather well – A poem for us all"
