The Fate of 'Myth Making'

There comes a time when you finally realise that your much loved novel isn’t actually as good as you originally thought. So, with a tear and a fond farewell you consign it to “The-Box-Under-The-Bed”.

A few months ago this is what happened to my previous novel – the children’s adventure story originally titled Myth Making.

Two things led me to this decision.

Firstly the fact that, despite several requests for fulls, the agents concerned all came back with similar comments in the rejections.

And secondly I was nearing completion of WRRW, making the final pass of edits, getting it ready to send out into the big bad world and start the whole process over again.

I think this is why you should always follow the advice that while your novel is out on submission you should get on with writing a better one.

There were a number of fairly fundamental flaws in Myth Making and I’ll talk about these in blog posts to come.

But one thing to remember – although a novel may have been consigned to TBUTB the ideas a characters live on. One day they will return – in a very different story and a very different form – but they will be back!

Falling in Love Again

Or the thrill of the first draft.

I’ve been throwing myself back into WRRW. The poor novel has been languishing on my hard drive for long enough. But I’m here now, and I think my characters are pleased to see me.

If fact my MC has grabbed me by the hand and is dragging me along on her adventure faster than I can type. I can’t blame her. I left her hanging in a bit of a tricky situation and she’s keen to get out of there – only thing is, I’ve got some nasty surprises for her up ahead.

Ah, but I suspect she has a few surprises for me!

That’s the thing about falling in love again – you never quite know what is going to happen. Will it all work out? Will this turn into a permanent relationship? Or am I still in love with my last novel – the one winging its way back to the agent’s in tray as I type.

Will I end up two timing? Maybe I’m a novel bigamist?

But for now I’m happy to go with the flow. I’m keen to know how things work out in this story, and, well, what happens afterwards – I’ll worry about that another day.

When to Stop

Editing that is, not writing in general

But when do you decide to stop tweaking and changing things as sit back and say to yourself ‘enough’s enough, time for this baby to venture out into the big bad world.’?

I seem to have done nothing but edit, and rewrite, and edit and rewrite for the past few months, and I’ve reached the stage where every time I look at it I see a word I want to tweak, or replace with a stronger one, or change the emphasis in some small way.

I could go on like this for ages.

I’ve set it aside, come back to it with fresh eyes and set it aside again.

Have I addressed all the issues the agent raised? Have I done a good enough job? Is this something he can sell? I could stare at it and ask myself these questions for months to come.

No. The time has come. Time to stop tweaking and putting things off. Time to get it back out there.

Maybe this version will be good enough to attract the attention of an agent, maybe not. But there’s only one way to find out.

A Good Start

It’s gorgeous here at the moment – freezing cold with clear blue skies. It’s lovely out in the hills – hardly another soul to be seen and only the deer and buzzards for company. Normally the sea and the ridgeway keep the frost away, but not this year. This is the way winter should be.

2010 has got off to a good start – with my first sale of the year!! I’ve just heard that Sorcerous Signals will be publishing ‘Return to Athelnay’ in their May issue. I’ll post the link to it once it comes online and I hope as many of you as possible will pop over and have a read.

So, refreshed and enthused, it’s back to the novel edit. The end is in sight, and the MC in the WIP is nagging at me to get on with it. I’ve neglected her for long enough, but not for much longer.

Tinsel and Lights

The run up to Christmas has begun in earnest. The kids spent a wet and grey Saturday afternoon decorating the tree whilst my husband wrestled with last years lights trying to get them to work – finally admitting defeat and heading out to buy a new set!

As usual our tree looks very much as if someone grabbed and armful of decorations and lobbed them in its general direction, even though it took a whole afternoon of painstakingly stacking as many baubles as possible on one branch for the kids to achieve that effect!

Anyway, time for the writing to go on the back burner – for a while – mulled wine and mince pies are the order of the day – and there seems to be a non stop round of school fayres and parties. Still the turkey is ordered, the pantomime tickets bought, the cards in the post and all I need to do now is finish off the Christmas shopping.

It’s a good time to take a break. The re-written short story has been dispatched, and the rewritten novel is, well, rewritten. I plan to send it back to the agent in the new year, but for now I can forget about it and get on with enjoying the next few weeks.

Rewriting

Another stormy weekend and a good time for writing, although all my writing seems to be dominated by rewrites. I’ve just finished the bulk of the rewrite of the ‘novel formerly known as Myth Making’ – all the main structural elements are now in place, the new themes added and blended it. So it’s time to set it aside for a few weeks before I give it its final read through.

But I’ve also had a rewrite request for one of my short story submissions. The editor makes a valid point, so I’ll be revisiting this over the next few weeks – should make a refreshing change while said novel gestates.

Meanwhile I’ve just heard from the editor of Arkam Tales that the latest issue is to be their last and all stories yet to be published have been released back to the authors. This, of course, includes one of mine. So it’s back into circulation for that one – but I’ve sold it once – I’m sure I’ll find a home for it again. This is the second story of mine this has happened to – I had one released when Dark Wisdom folded. It just goes to show how fragile the short fiction market can be.

Stormy Seas

Yesterday was a day of wild westerlies. We took the coast path round Portland Bill and watched the swell roll in and crash onto the rocks. Salt spray was in my hair and on my lips. I love it when it’s wild and windy like this.

Today the copies of our Writers Group anthology – The Hangman Inn arrived. This was a lot quicker than I expected and I think the group are going to be pleased. I took the proof along to show them on Thursday. Quite few people are going to be giving them as Christmas presents.

I’m not sure I’m going to take on editing something like this again in a hurry though. It was hard work – especially when people sent me files in weird formats or didn’t wrap their text!! I’ve got an awful lot more respect for the editors of all those short story anthologies and magazines out there as a result of this little exercise.

And as for the rewrite? It’s chugging along. Life seems to be getting in the way a bit though – what with Halloween just gone and Guy Fawkes night to come – not to mention Christmas looming on the horizon!

I must keep on reminding myself – make time to write!

Why We Should Plot

Plotting isn’t for everyone. I know some writers who like to sit down with no idea where a story is going and see what evolves as they write. When I first started I did this. But I’ve come to the conclusion that I really need to plot.

When I write a short story I need to know, in my head, exactly what is going to happen – and, with the short form in particular, how it is going to end, since a short story always needs a powerful ending.

But the same applies to novels. At the very least I need to know how it is going to end, but with a much bigger canvas to work with, I’m finding it more important to know what the twists and turns along the way are going to be. I guess plotting has never been my strongest point. But this is something I really need to crack.

For, even though I thought I’d done enough plotting for the WIP before I started, I seem to have come unstuck. One of my characters, who I’d clearly not thought carefully enough about, managed to involve herself in the story for far longer than she was needed, and now I’ve had to go back and write her out of the last five chapters!!

I think I need to do a bit more work on the plot for this one before I go any further!!

But for now it can sit and gestate at the back of my mind – I’m up to my eyeballs in the ‘novel-formerly-known-as-Myth-Making’ rewrite – and I need to make sure the plot is solid in this one too!

One Step Forwards

And two steps back. At least, that’s what it feels like. Although in reality it’s actually all forwards.

What am I talking about you ask? The answer is that elusive gold-dust of Agent feedback.

I’ve posted about my Agent hunt before, and I know I’ve been quiet on the subject – well that was because I was busy rewriting, and then resubmitting, and now…. More Agent feedback, and it’s back to the drawing board.

I was just about to crack on with the WIP, but that will have to wait. There’s another rewrite to be done for this one, and some major changes to be made.

Poppies

Out walking today and we passed through fields of poppies. They're so fragile, giving the countryside a blush of red against the meadow grass, or nestling in amongst the barley and wheat. Poppies are the flower that says to me 'Summer'.

But poppies are speacial for other reasons too. Poppy is the main character in my children's novel - originally called Myth Making but now out on submission under the title Broken Mask.

Poppies are also my mother's favorite flower.

Back out there!

It's time. The edit is complete and it's time for the children's novel to get back out into circulation.

My first batch of submissions - (gosh it feels like ages ago) - had a good response - a couple of requests for fulls, some superb feedback from one particular agent, and a promise of feedback from another (which has yet to materialise but as she's not made me an offer I guess I'm pretty much at the bottom of her heap).

But following the advice given to me by Agent#1, Myth Making has had an extensive rewrite - along with abrand new title!

So the time has come - it's been out of circulation for long enough (tied up in an exclusive with Agent#2) - and there are still plenty of agents left on my list. The first couple of submissions are winging their way across the ether as I speak (type), and I'll try to get more out over the next couple of weeks.

Lets hope that Agent#1's advice is enough to tip the balance. Wish me luck everyone!

Waiting

It’s so hard to be patient in this game. But we must. The cogs of this industry can move so slowly at times.

It can take an Agent several months to respond to a submission, many more months to respond to a full, and if you are honouring an exclusive on that full the wait can seem interminable.

I think if it wasn’t for the short stories I have out in circulation I would go crazy waiting. But fortunately the turn around on shorts can be much quicker - can be – but not always. I’ve had short stories tied up for over a year before now – and even once it is accepted it can be a long time before it appears in print. One contract I recently signed said the story would appear sometime in the next three years. So even here the turnaround can be very slow.

But patience is also important in the writing process itself. So many people finish their novel or story and then rush to submit. It’s so tempting to do. I’ve done it myself in the past, and watched the rejections rolling in. Why? Because the story wasn’t ready.

The editing phase is vital. It mustn’t be skimped. Put your work aside. Write something new. Do something else. Have a holiday. And come back to it fresh. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll see that needs to be done.

So I just have to try to be patient – only I’m not a very patient person.

Twin Tales

Over on Litopia they’ve been running a flash fiction contest. I have to admit it made a nice break from the rewrite I’m doing, to turn my hand to this exercise.

That’s the great thing about short stories – they’re fun to write, refreshing and stimulating. When you’re writing a novel occasionally you have to pause, either to do some research or maybe you just need a chance to let things gel a bit in your mind.

Whatever the reason this is a good time to break off and write a short story – about something completely different. Whenever I do this I come back to my WIP refreshed and eager to go.

So this little contest was well timed for me because I’ve just finished the first and main phase of my rewrite. All the structural changes are in place, and now that I’ve revitalised my creative juices I can go back to it with fresh eyes and give it a thorough read through to make sure I haven’t left any holes.

Anyway, the shortlisted stories are being read out this week over at the Litopia Podcast. The calibre of the colony writers is extremely high so you can be certain that these are going to be good. I’m looking forward to listening to them

Colours of Spring

Another gorgeous day, and the valley before me is awash with yellow - fields and fields of oilseed rape smothering the landscape like a blanket - and ocean of yellow aglow in the sunlight, lapping at the base of the ridge.

Every year more and more fields seem to be planted with rape - more brilliant yellow to herald the coming of spring.

It's far too lovely a day to get much writing done. But perhaps I'll take some printouts into the garden in the hope of doing some editing. They are all coming together at the moment so I'm pleased with the progress I've made.

The WIP however has run into a small glitch - one of the minor characters has muzzled her way into the action. Don't you just hate it when they do that? She's been there for a couple of chapters now, but she's not contributing anything to the plot. Sorry Lucy. I'm afraid you've got to go.

April Bluebells

A beautiful sunny spring day and my local woods are a sea of bluebells. There's nothing like strolling between the trees or over the hills to help the final pieces of the Myth Making rewrite I am about to embark on, to fall into place.

A few weeks ago I had some superb feedback from an Agent who highlighted a number of things, including several plot holes, and I've been mulling them over ever since, working out what I need to change and how. His critique was very astute - a bit of a 'why didn't I do that right first time' moment. It all seems so obvious now!

The thinking is over. Let the edit begin!

Tracking those Agents

It’s now a while since I posted that I was about to embark on the hunt for an Agent to represent Myth Making and I thought I would say a bit more about that whole process.

Ah, and a slow process it is too.

“Why’s that?” I hear you ask. “You just stick them in the post.”

And here is where I tear my hair and shout “NO NO NO!!”

You can’t just go and bung a dozen or so submissions in the post to the first names you find in the Writers and Artists Yearbook. You have to do your RESEARCH first – and that is what takes the time.

Take Myth Making for example, my children’s book aimed at kids aged 10+. Well for starters, not all Agents handle kids books. So why waste my time and theirs sending them something they’re not going to be interested in the first place.

But it goes deeper than that. Once I have an Agent’s name I check them out. Many have websites - a good place to start. If they list clients I check them out on Amazon. If not a quick google should turn up the websites of some clients. This then starts to give me a picture of what sorts of books these Agents handle. Have I heard of them? Who are their publishers? Does my book seem to fit with their lists? Are they a member of the Agent’s Association? And many many more.

All these questions take time to answer, but, once they’ve checked out then at last they go onto my list.

So if you’re an Agent reading my blog because you’re looking at Myth Making and you’re checking me out – then that means I checked you out first :-)

2009 Writing Resolutions

A new year, and new opportunities – so what are my writing goals for this year? Here are my targets for 2009:

1. Find an Agent to represent Myth Making
2. Sell a short story to a SWFA pro market
3. Sell more short stories than in 2008 (more than 3)
4. Complete first draft of current WIP.
5. Enter the Yeovil Prize again.
6. Start putting reviews on this blog.

And do check out the Preditors and Editors readers poll – Ruins Metropolis has been nominated in the anthology category so if you’ve read and enjoyed it why not give it a vote.

Oh, and Happy New Year!!

The Novella Dilemma

If two editors come back with the same comment on a short story submitted to them, then they could have a point, and when three editors say the same thing then it’s definitely time to pay attention.

This is exactly what has happened with my short story, Fire Flood. Readers at Murky Depths, ASIM and now Sybil’s Garage have all come back with exactly the same comment – this story is trying to cram too much into a small space. It ought to be expanded to novella length at least.

Well, the story has now been pulled from circulation and I’ve been giving it some thought. They’re definately right. There’s quite a lot I can do with this piece. In fact it’s crying out to be expanded. But I’m not so sure about turning it into a novella. The market for work of that length is rather limited and I don’t want to pour a load of time and energy into something that will probably never sell.

But then it occurred to me – This should be my new YA novel!! Jess is the right age and the story is sufficiently dark!! The dual narrative structure might just work and I’ll have the scope to really develop the character of Nick. Maybe I’ll turn this into my new project while I wait to hear back from the Agents I’m submitting to.

Move aside WRRW – there’s a new kid on the block!!!

News and Radio

I’ve just heard from the Yeovil Prize administrators that they’ve been contacted by a lady from BBC Radio Somerset who is interested in reading out some of the winning stories. What an opportunity!! I’ve dropped her a line and I’ll let you know of any developments.

And I’m featured on the front page of Litopia. Check it out, it’s a great write up!

It’ll be good to see if Miranda, one of the panellists at the Booker Debate last week, puts something into the Blackmore Vale as well. Its coverage doesn’t extend down to Dorset but I’m sure someone will pick me up a copy if they do.

And following on from the prize, and taking the advice given on the Litopia Daily Podcast answering a question that I posted on Litopia about how to use this success to my best advantage, I’m starting to submit. So fingers crossed. This is the tough bit.

But in the meantime – on with plotting the new project.

Oh, and I see The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga won the Booker. I’m going to have to read it now!

Booker Debate and Yeovil Prize

Last night the Booker Debate took place at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil, and as always the evening was a huge success. But for me it was particularly special since I was presented with my prize by crime writer Penny Deacon. The prize is the Western Gazette award which is awarded to a local author who does particularly well in the Yeovil Prize. In my case my novel, "Myth Making" was Highly Commended and my short story "Remember Normandy" was Commended.
The evening then went on to the Booker debate itself with a panel of writers reviewing the shortlisted novels. In the past years most of the books have been slated by the reviwers but this year three of them got a big thumbs up: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Berry and A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. It will be interesting to see if one of these wins. Here is local author Malcolm Welshman reviewing Fraction of the Whole watched by Rosie Boycott and Penny Deacon.
And finally, there were a number of fellow Litopians present and here's a picture of three of us: Steve, me and Emma. Three people who met in cyberspace.