Tag Archive: writing


My Writing Priorities

Filed under: My Writing — 6 Comments
May 3, 2013

cute cartoon penguine at a computer from OpenClipArtI’ve been seeking freelance writing work for a month now. From The Write Feeling site, Freelancer and several other places, I’ve put out my name and my skills to find work that pays. While prepared for how hard this would be, I didn’t count on how frustrated I would feel. It’s been a month and while my business plan reflected a slow start (over three months in fact), I’m still hurting that I’ve been unable to secure work.

On Tuesday I returned to my Freelancer account to assess my skill set. I updated it and began a fresh search for jobs with these new skills in mind. I now include ghostwriting in my skill set as well as blogging, articles, fiction, editing and proofreading. My search is primarily for editing and proofreading work, since this is what The Write Feeling specialises in, however, in light of the update, I did look at ghostwriting. Three days on I’m yet to place a bid on any ghostwriting job.

I spent a day considering this – since I’m unconsciously disregarding a potential source of income I need to know why! After much thought I found the answer and through understanding why I’ve avoided these jobs, I’ve also come to better understand my motivations as a writer.

The money on offer is as good as any other job, as are the hours. The time I would need to give over to ghostwriting, in some cases, is easier than the jobs I have bid for. However, these ghostwriting jobs all (so far without exception) state: ‘copyright and ownership passes to me (employer) and your (employee) name will not appear on the final work.’

Huh. So, though I’m paid, I don’t get the credit for the piece? What if it’s the best thing I’ve ever written? What if, after completing the job, I lose all my fingers and can’t type another story ever again? What if I just decide to pack it all in, after the job? Despite having written something that is now published and earning a few pennies, I’ll never get credit.

HELL NO!

I laughed at myself when I identified the problem. I found it funny. It comes down to what I’ve always suspected about myself but have now proven: I don’t care about the money. While it would be nice, big bucks are just a fringe benefit to seeing my name in print.

At least now that I know that, I can be smarter about how I bid for jobs on Freelancer and anywhere else.

Where do you guys draw the line when it comes to your writing? What is the key aspect of it for you that keeps you going back for more and more?

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eBook Review: High Moor 2

Filed under: Books, Reviews — Leave a comment
April 19, 2013

high moor 2 book coverAuthor: Graeme Reynolds
Title: High Moor II – Moonstruck
Genre: Horror, beautiful, beautiful horror!
ASIN: B00BVC7MKW
‘The people of High Moor are united in horror at the latest tragedy to befall their small town. As dawn breaks, the town is left to count the cost and mourn its dead, while breathing a collective sigh of relief.
John Simpson, the apparent perpetrator of the horrific murders, is in police custody. The nightmare is over.
Isn’t it?’

I’m such a shameless fan girl. I can’t help it. It took me long enough to get around to this review (I’ve not written one for AGES) but I think that’s primarily because I’ve been guzzling books like water on a hot day. This book, however, needs my review. I need to talk about how much I freakin’ love this book.

So first, I should say that there is a book previous to this. I believe we’re looking at a trilogy. I’ve reviewed the first book already and when I finished it I didn’t expect another.

Graeme was kind enough to send me a copy of Moonstruck and though I took my time in getting to it, when I finally started, it was a three day job to read. Yes, that’s not that fast, but when all my reading is confined to snatched moments while breastfeeding a baby and sitting on the loo, I think I did pretty well. ;-)

Anyway! The story picks up where the previous one left off, diving straight into the action. It may be confusing if you’ve come to the story without having read the first book, but the drip feed of info, for me, was perfect. I’d forgotten every character’s name and most of the events of the previous novel (I only have so much head space, so sue me!) but it soon came rushing back.

I’m not giving you any spoilers. I’ll just say if you’ve read High Moor then you need to follow it up with this gorgeously (is that a real word?) gory, fantastically intense and breathtakingly fast paced sequel. If you haven’t read High Moor, then do that first, then follow it up with this gorgeously gory, fantastically intense and breathtakingly fast paced sequel.

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What Films Can Do…

Filed under: Film, My Writing — 2 Comments
April 16, 2013

I found this post in my ‘drafts’ folder and felt a pang of shock when I realised that it’s a year old. I haven’t sat on my yoga ball since I was pregnant, so it must be almost year to the day! I’ve no idea why I didn’t post it at the time, but here it is now. Enjoy! :)

So I watched Secretary a little while ago.

Secretary movie posterI remember being drawn to the cover of the DVD (what’s not to like about a woman bending over and gripping her ankles like that?) and then realised that it had both Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader in it. I’ve adored James Spader since Stargate, where he played this lovely, long-haired, linguistic geek, but I’ve not really seen him since. I’ve just not looked. Realising that Stargate predates Secretary (by almost eight years!) I figured it would be nice to see James again.

I started out watching the film on my yoga ball, stretching out my back because I’d been sitting in a not-so-great position all day. Maggie came along, kicked things off, but as soon as she got to the office, I realised I couldn’t sit on that ball and expect not to fall off.

James Spader was so deliciously creepy! I mean really, totally, wonderfully creepy (!) and realising that was how he played the character meant that I had to sit properly to pay attention. A couple of scenes made me really pay attention and I came away from the whole thing with a little tingle in my legs and a short story forming in my mind.

By the time I made it to bed and pulled my laptop into my lap, I had two characters in mind and the outline of an opening to the story that I knew would stop me sleeping if I didn’t start. So I did. At the time of writing this post, I’m 491 words into a story of undetermined length, featuring a loud mouthed, domineering business woman who works beneath a dull witted, meat-head of a man who has just brought his son into the company to be her secretary.

The second I started writing I realised that Raven was loose. Not that it wasn’t me, but more that the subject I had picked and the direction the piece was going was already far removed from my usual fantasy head. I had stepped very quickly into that headspace where Raven is most at home and when she rules the roost. I have to say… I liked it! I still like it and I can’t wait to see what comes out of me when I next put my fingers to the keys on that piece.

In fact, this is how I opened it:

There is something utterly delicious about leaning over my desk.

I don’t have to be doing anything special; just leaning over it is enough to send little thrills of pleasure shooting up and down my legs. When I take my hands back to the tops of my tights, underneath my skirt where the sheer fabric slides beneath my fingers like silk.

Another sensation I enjoy.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I suppose I should explain how I got here in the first place and why on earth I would be leaning over my desk, tights exposed in the middle of my office on a busy Wednesday afternoon.

Naughty, naughty, naughty.

I’l keep you posted on how it progresses. :)

I haven’t written any more of this story, although I have found it again. Reading it now, as one might expect, gives me a little wriggle of amusement as I realise that even in the space of a year my writing has improved a ton! I know that sample is only a first draft, but I’m still gratified to see that even those have improved in the space of a year.

Have you guys rediscovered any writing recently? Maybe half completed stories, or blog posts you never managed to publish? What are you going to do with them?

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My Writing: Self Publishing

Filed under: My Writing, Other Writings — 5 Comments
March 29, 2013

black notebook and red pencil from OpenClipArtLast in my series on writing. Seems appropriate to end on this since I’ve not long ago attended a self publishing conference. I didn’t plan it this way either, it’s just rather handy. Go figure.

Anyway!

Self publishing, a growing trend among emerging and established authors to get their books out into the world. Emerging authors who have taken various stabs at the traditional route and been unable to crack the nut. Emerging authors who want to keep a hold of as much control as they can over the process of publishing. Established authors who have previously published and regained the rights to early works. There are all sorts of reasons to self publish and since it is becoming easier to do so every single day, there are more books being published in this manner every single day.

I went to four different seminars on Sunday. Each one covering a different aspect of self publishing, from choosing a provider, to designing a cover, to advertising, to working with an editor. I’ve learned so much from those seven hours that my brain is still spinning from all the info. Do you remember my plans to self publish an ebook of erotic fiction come September? That plan isn’t going to work; not the self publishing part, the September part. There is too much I need to do and be sure I’ve done properly before I can make myself hit that ‘publish’ button. You only get to début once.

However, that still is my plan. I AM going to self publish an ebook and it WILL be my erotic fiction. To start. It will be self edited (after critiques), then copy edited, then proofread. It will have a beautifully designed cover. It will be promoted suitably and I will take my time over it. I refused to rush and release something substandard because I can’t wait.

The most important thing I took away from this conference is that patience is key. I have to force myself towards it, but I know that now. I have to be absolutely sure that things are ready.

If you need an example, I’ve received two emails in the last week from places I had submitted SORB to. A novel I thought was ready. Two emails saying ‘thanks but no thanks.’ And these aren’t agents or people supposed to take the novel further; these are just people I wanted critiques from. Now it may be that my work is too niche, or that there wasn’t a suitable editor, or even that I was just unlucky as a result of the volume of submissions. However, I can’t help but feel that if the novel was as strong as I thought it was, then I would have done better.

Just listening to Helen from Cornerstones and applying what she said to the novel tells me that I still have work to do. Better I find out now before I start hammering agents again, but sobering, just the same.

So… to wrap up, self publishing will happen, but not yet. Not until I can say, for real this time, that I’m ready.

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My Writing: Script Writing

Filed under: My Writing, Other Writings — 11 Comments
March 26, 2013

black notebook and red pencil from OpenClipArtScripts! I remember when I was about 15 (maybe even 14) I turned Silk Over Razor Blades (that, at the time, was called To Be A Teenage Vampire) into a screenplay. In fact, I wrote it twice. And each time I did it, I coordinated with friends to film it. We got as far as casting and location scouting and then it fell through. Ho hum.

Anyway, that was the first time I turned my hand to script writing. I loved it. Then I put it aside and left the idea alone for several years. When university came along and I spent those years writing instead of studying, somebody mentioned that my house mates and I would make an amusing sitcom. So I wrote it.

Seven episodes of a sitcom that I called HouseMates. Yes, I realise it is not as imaginative a title as I might have managed, but it says exactly what I need it to say.

If I were to take talks from last year’s Alt Fiction to heart, then I would be haunting the BBC with ideas and sending them scripts to showcase my skills. The BBC recently opened their doors to unsolicited scripts via their Writer’s Room. I missed the deadline – or I will by 28 March – because you can only submit an idea once and I want to be sure that the idea is as perfect as it can be. And of course, that the script is written as well as it can be.

I’ll give you a sample, if I may….

NADINE:
So have you got everything inside now?

LEANNE:
Nah; Ricky is bringing the rest tomorrow.

NADINE:
Didn’t you dump him earlier?

LEANNE:
Yes, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play pack donkey for a little longer; he certainly looks the part. Most of it is at his house anyway.

NADINE:
Just checking. So why did you dump him?

LEANNE:
He was stringing along me, my sister AND my best friend. I thought I’d teach him a lesson. I’m an excellent teacher!

NADINE:
So I saw.

LEANNE:
I like to take a physical approach. Actions speak louder than words and all that.

NADINE:
They kick harder too.

LEANNE:
Indeed.

NADINE:
I’ll never understand hetero relationships.

LEANNE:
What?

NADINE:
When Michelle and I split, we hated each other for months and months just like exs are supposed to. We even took turns wrecking each other’s clothes and shoes. In fact it’s my turn to slash the tires on her car. I should ring her.

NADINE STOPS STRETCHES AND MAKES TO LEAVE. LEANNE STOPS HER.

LEANNE:
Wait, did you just say Michelle? Nadine, are you gay?

NADINE:
Is the Queen Jewish?

LEANNE:
No actually.

NADINE:
The pope?

LEANNE:
Still no.

NADINE:
Oh. Well I’m gay.

LEANNE:
And I thought the tool belt was just a weird fashion accessory! Cool. So what’s it like?

NADINE:
I have no idea; I’m an atheist myself. But there was a girl in college who just hated it. Imagine not being able to go out on a Friday night!

LEANNE:
No, not being Jewish, I mean being gay.

NADINE:
Oh, that. Its great! It does intimidate some people though. Guys especially.

LEANNE:
They’re just worried they’re becoming obsolete… which they are by the way. Anne Summers will testify to that.

NADINE:
Harmony thinks I scare them off with my mere presence.

LEANNE:
Well the ‘Bob The Housemaid’ look might worry people. Loose the tool belt and you’ve got it.

Insofar as scriptwriting as a way forward, this is one form of writing that will end up on the back burner. I simply don’t have the time to spare to give to this which is why HouseMates has not yet been submitted to the BBC. Later – lord knows when! – I’ll take the time to edit the script and polish it up properly and then get it sent.

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