Blog Archive

Its a good day, halloo, hallay!

Some days are meant to be good.

From Facebook Fairy Tales

Woke this morning with a blooded eye, wondering why I chose to punch myself in my sleep.  This later developed to a migraine . . . I have no pain, no nausea, just visual disturbance  . . . split images, venetian blind effects, sometimes barely any vision at all.  But half an hour later, with some treatment, it was all gone and I was able to sit at the computer and read emails, blogs and even do some writing.  The blogs, chiefly Nathan Bransford’s (www.nathanbransford.com) of the last three days were damned good reading giving a succinct rundown of the most recent Amazon/Macmillan problems, also a fabulous blog on the future of the e-book, digital publishing and self-publishing which I found fascinating, especially the comments from readers. I experienced some sort of vindication for flying with the independent YWO.com with my first two novels.  Mr. Bransford implied that those outside the maintream, who have had to pedal harder under water (my words), may, together with a knock your socks off ms, have the edge in this e-book battle and may indeed make an impression with the mainstream publishers. I really loved this because an agent last year basically called me out over my decision to POD with YWO.com  My confidence took a hell of a hiding, despite the fact that the year has been exciting, inspiring, full of growth in both writing and marketing.

Read More

Mapping a world . . .

Fantasy map from Wikimedia Commons.

I visited my tiny local library today and came across a giant book (one that just fitted into my bike basket), called The Map Book edited by Peter Barber.  Published in GB in 2005, it is the quintessential history of maps and their making and has the most extraordinary collection illustrated in its pages.

Read More

Luna . . .

Chasing moonbeams from Facebook Fairy Tales

Opening WordPress yesterday, I noticed a vote on Freshly Pressed, ‘to the moon again, or not.’ I voted no because I want the moon to remain pristine, untrammelled, an enigma.  I also believe that we have so much more need for the money on our own planet. But the option to vote prompted me to think how important the moon was in A Thousand Glass Flowers.

Read More

Nursing . . .

Hospital . . . fairy style.

No book trailer updates and no blogs for a few days, as my better half has had surgery  and needs my care and attention.

Read More

Needle in a haystack . . .

My embroidery bag

‘When I’m not writing or tweaking my computer, I do embroidery.’  This remarkably apt quote for my life comes from Lynn Abbey, fantasy writer.  I was googling quotes today and this is the one that popped up in respect of embroidery and I figured the Fates had conspired to entice me to write on my stitching.

Read More

Is a fictional world really better?

Found a wonderful blog today . . . http://franceshunter.wordpress.com (which was a meme from http://imlostinbooks.blogspot.com) where she commented on three fictional worlds in which she would like to live.  Hers were exceptional as she is a historical fiction author and had steeped herself in the worlds of her research and writing.  Equally interesting were the comments, with many opting for fantasy worlds and in particular Narnia.
Read More

Stephen Spielberg, I am not!

So here we go into the next phase of the trailer production.  How do the major movie producers do it?  The image that I have in my head is Academy quality, but of course the reality is a whole other thing.  I’ve no idea what I’m doing and can’t wait to get what I’ve done so far to my brother so that he can do the AVID thing.

Read More

To market, to market . . .

Part of the Stream of Consciousness blog has emphasised marketing, whether it is done by the writer or for the writer by the publishing house.  With that in mind, I have decided to venture into booktrailer-dom.

Read More

Stream of consciousness . . .

from the inimitable Fairy Tales on Facebook

I have been sitting thinking today, working through the next phase of the WIP, trying to picture just what I want to happen.  I have an outline you see, a storyboard if you will and I tend to brainstorm at the end of a writing spell, write things down in pen, maybe a para, maybe only a word, but it helps me to move on more fluidly the next day.  So I was having one of those moments and my husband disturbed me (with a glass of wine) and I told him that I had an image in my mind for tomorrow.  I then realised that the idea that I had written two extra chapters way back before I had to leave it all on Nov 20 and which I thought I had lost, was indeed a figment of my imagination.  To be sure I had thought them up, I just hadn’t written key words or paras anywhere.  In my head the two lost chapters were there as a faint image, they just weren’t on the computer.  Does that make sense? As my husband said, I forgot to press the metaphorical ‘save’ at the time.

Read More

The ‘But’ Days . . .

There was a great blog today from a guest blogger on Nathan Bransford:

http://blog.nathanbransford.com

Worth reading because it lists all the excuses people use not to write.  I know I’m a victim of the ‘but’ days.  There’s too much housework, I need to do some cooking, I’m needed on the farm, or worst of all . . . I can’t be bothered today!

Read More