I have a number of comments I would like to send all that lovely yet unknown audience who kindly respond to my blogs. Thank for from the very bottom of my writer’s heart. You cannot believe how wonderful if it is to receive comments from all over the world. If only I could read those written in Vietnamese and/or Chinese, but alas the translation on my computer seems to be malfunctioning.

You should know that my blog has a system which erases those comments I consider irrelevant. These variably are either ads or random nonsense.  What I truly don’t understand is why these senders bother. I wish they would save themselves the effort as they will never appear on my blog.

Also, please take note that sometimes the words I place on my blog are not mine but belong to another author. This information is always places at the very top of the blog so there should be no misunderstandings.

The other thing I feel I should mention that 2015 is a bad year for beginning and middle range authors. Big publishers are accepting very little and pulling in their subsidiary companies. But take heart! This has happened before, as in the 90’s a time when small companies blossomed. Swings and slides. Except now there is the added problem of so many bad books appearing on line often ‘for free’. How can anyone find you amongst that welter? I have no answer except the secret belief that good stuff will eventually survive in spite of all these drawbacks.

Back to pleasanter issues. What a thrill it would be if those people who read my blog also dipped into my books. Given you are computer literate enough to read a blog I assume you won’t mind reading a book on line. Most of my latest books are hardcopy – that is, a book with paper pages – and also can be read on line.

So in an attempt to wet your appetite I am displaying the cover and the opening of my latest adult romance: PENELOPE’S GHOST. This novel is available on Kindle and other book readers for a very, very small sum.

“Penelope’s Ghost”:  www. boroughspublishinggroup.com

UNCOVERING MY SECRETS

Chapter 1.

“He fell in love with someone else,” Richard repeated thoughtfully. “Was she a friend of yours?”

It must be time to confess. What he would think of me after that, I didn’t dare consider. “Actually, she was a he. Simon fell in love with Robert and finally admitted he was gay.”

Richard’s eyebrows shot up. “Married to someone as lovely and intelligent as you? That’s almost impossible to believe.”

Lovely? Intelligent? Not knowing how to respond to these compliments I said quickly, “I think Simon always knew he was gay. Even when he married me, he was just in denial. I was too dumb to wake up to it.”

“When you did realise, how did it make you feel?”

“Angry. Miserable. Then totally stupid,” I answered. “There were so many hints, but I kept on ignoring them.” Then I dared to venture, as the atmosphere between us was definitely pulsing, “He was never interested in sex.”

His face blank, Richard turned to the next page of the book we were sharing, then another. In the pause I heard an owl hoot and the wind rustle a branch against the window.

At last he put down the book. “Never interested in sex. That mean you’re not? Let’s find out.” With this, he placed one arm around my waist and with the other hand tilted my head so I faced him. Then he carefully and delicately placed his mouth over mine.

Keep an ideas notebook, folder or electronic organiser to help you sort out your ideas.

Collate old material (clippings, photos, letters, certificates, etc) into carefully labelled folders.

Read other people’s stories, they will help you organise yours and come up with new ideas. As you read, you will find yourself enjoying some stories, disliking others and learning, learning, learning.

Start writing about yourself. Pretend you are sending an email/letter to a new friend. Describe yourself.

Write whatever comes into your head. You can always discard it later. Free associate. Write anything.

Just get the feel of what it is like to write.

Keep an open mind as to other people’s perceptions of you. Don’t get offended if you don’t agree.

Don’t get distracted by the task by telling yourself that there are other more important things you should be doing.

Give yourself some kind of deadline, even if it is very loose and can be easily changed.

 Do you have a budget? You may need to spend money on travel, photocopying, paper, travel, a computer, printer, memory sticks, an extra hard drive for backup.

Decide where you will store your research material and keep that area free.
Will this be a book? A CD containing photos and voice-over? Is this just for the family or do you hope for a wider audience?

Ask yourself: How can I make it interesting enough that other people will want to read/watch it?

 Do you have a ‘working title’? This is helpful when you talk to others about your work.

Perhaps overseas research is integral. How will you budget for this?

Consider choosing names is very important. Consider them very carefully. make sure they suit the character. Think ‘Charles Dickens….eg  ‘Uriah Heep’ describes the character’s personality very well.

Always remember: you are the author of your own  work.

Yesterday I received a request from an ex-student who wanted to know if I have any publishers up my sleeve for her to send some Young Adult short stories. I think my reply might be helpful for others.

I recommended that she prowl bookshops and libraries to look for publishers who put out similar material. Also, to join PIO and Buzzwords. These are useful eZine mags with lots of helpful tips for both writing and knowing what others write that is being published. They’re not too expensive. If she wants to go further afield she can look into SCBWI. Everything she needs is all on the net. But my warning is that the market right now is tough! So what she needs is lots of PERSISTENCE.

On another topic entirely, I have just read Mark Haddon’s ‘A Spot of Bother’. Others will know him for ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night’. Here is a man who can write for both kids AND adults. I wish I could say the same for other well known authors… whether they go from adult to kids or vice versa. Mostly they can’t do the switch and end up either being boring, overwriting ( because they think they now have the freedom to do this) or patronising. I would like to take up this debate with anyone who has the time and patience to argue with me.