The Point of Blogging

I started this blog about 5? years ago, because I was told by other writers that we all had to have a blog, a calling card, something to impress the industry with our "platform".  I don't know if anyone else gets a chance to see the stats on this blog, but if this was my only "platform" it would be a pretty wobbly and isolated one.

The intention of this blog was to provide an insight into the process of working, for anyone who might be interested.   Occasionally I put up a sample of the work.  These samples always have far more readership than anything else on here, quite reasonably, since they are properly written chapters, and not just me whinging on about how hard things are.

The blog falls between any number of stools - I could do something with it, like become a mega reviewer, or I could indulge in a bit of literary gossip, to attract more customers.  But this is not about the numbers, it's more of an aide memoire for me, how I felt, how I responded, what I did.  It's not personal, anyone can read it really.  I don't think I've been rude to anyone; a bit cheeky about agents maybe, but when you've had the rejection letters I've had, you can't help that.  

I continue to do it not to gratify the loyal readership (sorry) but because I am interested in the process and progress of the works, the ideas I've had, the ideas I've discarded, and so on.   However, I will try and write more about other writers I know and what they are doing.  This is called backscratching (and ruder things), but is essential to "get on".

A rapid response - 2 days later!

"I don't feel it's right for our list" is a common kiss-off line from agents.  It's actually perfectly fair and plausible - they feel the authors they represent have a certain "house style".  Which, especially in a smaller agency, is almost certainly true, since their authors are all hand-picked after all.  But when you look at a literary agency's client list and find it is full of people you haven't heard of, who have written books with really unattractive covers, it becomes difficult to know whether you fit into that particular bunch of "middle list writers" you haven't heard of, or another bunch, represented by another agency.  What you could do of course, is check out some of those authors' works on Amazon.  This would take a few hours, days, if you were really assiduous, but at least you'd know not to submit to that agency.  

The trouble is, all the writers I really like are represented by uber grand agents - who don't even allow writers to submit to them - you could burn incense and rare meats under their noses for 40 days and still be turned away.  Short of being personally introduced to them by William Boyd or Seb Faulks you have no chance with these guys.  Being rejected by them would be a privilege, being rejected by a small agency run by two young women who were made redundant from publishing jobs and couldn't think of anything else to do, feels a bit humiliating.  I know, I am sounding all Ed Reardon now... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006r5ck) but, like the Murphy's, I'm not bitter. And I would, of course, be very happy to be taken on by any agency run by two young women recently made redundant from publishing jobs. Or indeed, run by men, coyotes, or mutants from outer space.  

The (Writing) Year begins

This is where the new writing year begins.   Conveniently for me, it is a new writing year, because although I am tinkering with The Ash Grove, essentially I have begun to research the second novel...probably to be called Conscience and I am now facing the grim necessity of examining the horrors of war and how they affected people.

For the last month or so I have felt a bit confused, but at the moment, although TRF is in the in-trays of a couple of agents, essentially I am going to concentrate all my submissions efforts on AG - since the time seems critical.  I saw JG at a party on NYE - before the drinking started.  She said "Do send it to me!" but I'm less and less sure that she'd be the right agent for me... so what to do?  Saw CA at another party - he is about to have his work produced by the new outlet, called Cumulus which a mutual friend is setting up.  I thought it had all happened very quickly, one minute it was half-written - the next it was about to be published.  Even an established non-fiction writer like CA must have gone through some sort of selection process I thought!

Sounds like I have a really juicy literary life - well, it does feel like that some times, but most of the agents/publishers/editors and writers I know are not in the same sort of line, and aren't really much help.  So I get gossip and commiseration, but none of the lovely successy bits - yet!

I expect it would be a hostage to fortune when I say that "this is the year" - did I feel like that last year?  But I do feel more positive than I expected to feel a few weeks ago.  I worry slightly that this feeling is only because a suspiciously accurate Indian astrologer told me I was going to be rich and influential between the ages of 57 and 63 and I turn 57 in February (and the planet Uranus will stop molesting the Pars Fortune in my birthchart around then too).  So who knows?  But there will be nothing without tremendous boxes of hard work.