Writing

I've decided not to sell the rights to the Forgotten Village.

However I have decided that I am going to try and self publish it on kindle, asap, and follow it up with other stuff, also asap.

I'll let you know when it gets to the stage where you can buy it if you want to (fingers crossed I can work it out) but please do not feel under any obligation to do so.

Thank you for giving me the encouragement to write.

Wean - sounds an odd thing, but I have the comment vetting enabled, so if you put up your email I will not publish it, and I will email you back. (love to hear from you!)

All experience and anecdotage says that if you put an email into the public domain you will sink under spam. Also you can be targetted by all sorts of scammers. I believe that there are more good people in the world than bad, but sometimes the bad are a bit more visible. They make more waves! Good people make calm.

I have been almost paralysed by that message about the Forgotten Village. I managed to get some slinky stuff through the washer and onto the airer, waiting for those to try and I hope to find the bottom of the wash basket by the end of the week. The ironing looks beyond hope.

No reputable publisher would normally touch something that is already in the public domain - I know that much. I was thinking of trying to self publish some stuff on kindle, as you don't need to pay an up front fee. However I have no idea about publicity or anything. And as it is (I believe) quite a visual story that would translate well onto eg tv or cartoon, then I could lose a lot of money signing those rights over. And it wouldn't matter if the text was in the public domain.

My honest strategy - to publish The Forgotten Village and Digging up the Past on kindle together with a third story (as yet unnamed) as each one at 99p, and perhaps the collected bundle as £2.50. The Forgotten Village is in the public domain on fiction press anyway. That is, if I would be allowed to charge such low prices. I have only briefly looked into the logistics, but it sounds very plausible if I go through Lulu.com.

But someone has thought my writing is worth money has thrown me. It is unexpected - out of the blue. I mean, I would always think, 'well, when I write a bestseller...' but I haven't taken it really seriously.

I suppose that I do believe that there are more good people out there than bad people. This could be a good person. I just wish I had some idea of what to do.

A flattering dilemma

Someone has emailed me to say that they are willing to buy the rights to the Forgotten Village. That means that they own the story and the characters after paying a one off sum.

I am very flattered.

I am really not sure.

I would lose control of the story, never be able to say that I had written it, have no control over editing so all sorts of changes could be put in, and if it did translate into a tv series or film I would not see a penny of that. I am not sure I would be able to use the characters again (I pulled the 'Digging up the Past' because I re-read it, decided that I had made a right hash and have started to re-write it properly).

On the other hand, I really, really, really want a dishwasher. The carpet is a disgrace. There is work being done on the car at the weekend (nothing serious). I want to pay for little bear to do things.

And it could all be a scam anyway. Though I don't see how it would be. It doesn't matter. I feel all jumbled up and confused. If nothing else it is pushing me to do some more writing.

I think I need to sleep on it.

Publishing

I haven't forgotten about Digging up the Past, and I have drafted quite a bit, though it isn't up to a standard I would accept.

I will have to motor, as I want the sequel to Digging up the Past to come out @ Halloween (or Samhain) and I am feeling quite determined.

However, I would really appreciate the views of anyone who has read my stuff. I am considering publishing the Forgotten Village and a finished version of Digging up the Past as an ebook. It would be free(ish) for me, as far as I can tell, and I was looking to price these at 99p, if I could, and publish further installments on there at the same price.

I would be upfront about the first two being free to view on Fiction Press.

I am still at first ends of this - I am struggling to find out what costs what, but as far as I can tell the costs and fees of publishing are taken out of the sale price, so even though it is vanity publishing it is cheap vanity publishing.

I would be grateful if people could let me know how they feel about this, especially if they would feel let down by further installments being charged for. I don't want to let anyone down, especially after all the support I have had (and been very grateful for) so I would really value opinions.

Also, as far as I can see, if I publish at 99p, then I get royalties of @ 64p, so I am not going to be a millionaire out of it, but it would all help, if I didn't upset people.

Never try your own supply

I was browsing the Metaphysical section on ebay (my friend) in pursuit of some background ideas for the next installment of the Forgotten Village. Unrelated to that, I saw an advert for Datura, which I thought was very dangerous. So I clicked on the posting.

The text contained six BIG errors in grammar and spelling in two short sentences. I was tempted to copy and paste, but I would hate to be cruel or embarrass anyone by posting it up. But it was awful. The listing did describe Datura as toxic, which is good. However the listing looked like someone had put it together under the influence of something. I don't know whether it would be datura and to be quite honest I don't want to find out.

The trouble with me is that, although I would hate to hurt anyone's feelings, and I know that there are a lot of sincere Pagans and Wiccans out there (some of whom read this blog, and I will happily wish them happy Beltane in a few weeks), but there is some real comedy in the listings, if you rummage, and my mind starts working overtime, and I just imagine too, too much. Not a lot of it is complimentary and quite a lot of it is to do with my cynical view of human nature.

Digging up the Past Chpt 12 is up.

I posted it while trying to stop my back hurting because I need to do more in darling father's room before furniture arrives.

Too many bits of me hurt - in a minor and inconvenient way, but enough to grumble about.

Chpt 13 should be more entertaining.

Too many ideas

Having a bad time

But thought of a story for the forgotten village, or at least the start of a story. Apparently there were sin eaters in the area around the Shropshire/Wales border, not a million miles from where I envisage the forgotten village. The sin eater would attend the house where someone had died and have something symbolic to eat and drink, take some money and declare that they had 'eaten' the sins of the deceased. There has to be a story there.

That has cheered me up. Though no idea where the story would go and what I would do with it. Nor when I would have the time to write it. But I think it is a viable start to thinking about a story.

Prod

By accident, clicking on a link and then a link, I found a publishing site that seems to accept manuscripts direct (most publishers don't).

This is a huge push for me to get writing more consistently. I need to finish Digging up the Past and then get working on reworking a novel I wrote a few years back. My writing has improved significantly over the years. No publisher would be interested in the stuff on Fiction Net as it is already in the public domain and why should someone pay for a book (produced at expense) when they can read it for free?

I hope I can make a little money writing. It would be a massive help.

Digging up the Past Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11 is up. It is shorter than I would have liked, but it is a natural break and I know I am going to have a bit of a struggle with the next chapter.

Also, I have registered on Facebook as Sybil Smith, should anyone else go on there. As soon as I have worked out how to use the dratted thing I shall try and update that.

New Year Resolutions

I don't usually 'do' New Year's Resolutions. I think the big thing is that I have complete lack of faith in my ability to stick to a resolution. Another big thing is that I think if you are going to make a resolution then you should make it there and then - you can make an October the 4th resolution that is just as valid.

I think part of the thing is realistic target setting. I am rubbish at that. If you can set a realistic target in a realistic frame then you can really benefit from a New Year's resolution. However so many resolutions can be 'kinder to cat' or 'better cook' or 'more punctual' which are great aims. However they are hard to quantify, hard to know when you have achieved success and hard to know if you are even sticking to it.

Looking at my 'life wish list' I think that I want to push writing, clutterbusting and knitting. But I also want to learn to crochet, read some books, learn the piano, do more crafts with little bear, be more tolerant of evil cat (tough one!), lose weight, take more exercise, eat better... I don't have enough time.

When all returns to normal after the Christmas break I am once again going to try for the two thousand words per day - doable if hard. To do that I need to limit my browsing of the internet but that is not in itself a bad thing. I need to make the call - when I go to sleep, what do I wish I had done? Browse the web or write two thousand words? I also need to be less precious. It is easier to write in chunks, but possible to do it sentence by sentence between housewifery and being mum.

Clutterbusting is hard to quantify. To be honest, I see it as a rolling programme, never finished. I buy stuff. Kind relatives buy me stuff. Little bear is besieged by stuff. I need to organise what I want to keep and lose what I do not need. How do you know when you are finished? I think it is connected to my lack of housewifery, so I will be trying out different versions of FlyLady and clutterbusting and see where it takes me. Hmm, tangible targets are hard sometimes. I will set the minimum of one extra black bin sack or equivalent per week of 'stuff' that is not the usual rubbish of emptied cans and wrappers but is donated/sold/disposed of because it is clutter. That is my minimum. Also every week I want to identify a 'home' for some item that currently is being tripped over, so that I end up with 'a place for everything and everything in its place'.

Knitting is almost a sin for me. I love knitting, it relaxes me (mostly, don't ask about picking up for the neck). I want to have consistently a project next to my chair which can easily be picked up and then put down for a few rows while watching football. My big problem is starting projects and not finishing them. I would log all the unfinished projects I have outstanding, but I don't think I could find them all! I have six at the back of my chair. Despite my good intentions I started a new scarf yesterday with some weird yarn, teddy coral. It ends up with a texture like a long piled bath mat, in a nice way. I finished it today. Knitting helps my sanity, so I am not going to try and regulate it too much. And I have reluctantly realised that getting things finished off is hard for me and no technique so far has worked as I start new projects to cheer myself up. So I am going to keep a tally of things finished off. You will see it grow in interesting ways. One of the things that I need to finish off is a sweater that has been half sewn up for nearly two years. I shall also aim to start smaller items that finish off quicker.

As for the other things, I shall wait and see. I think the first I shall attack is crochet. But that is to be fitted around the writing, the clutterbusting and the knitting. And the writing, the clutterbusting and the knitting are to be fitted around little bear, OH, darling father, visits to family, visits from family, and all the hiccups and ups and downs of life. I shall just aim to do my best, and if I fail on one week I shall just keep going again from scratch the next week.

Digging up the Past Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine is up

The last 240 words took me a week. I need to work on this.

Digging up the Past Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight is up.

I have deliberately not described the wedding. I may do references to it in conversations as the story goes on, but I could not think of anything in the wedding that would advance the plot.

Also, I am half way through the attempted word count, and despite my dismissive attitude, I am not sure I have enough plot to take it to fifty thousand.

We will see.

Digging up the Past Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven is up.

And I've had a review! I am hoping that I can get more. It was a really helpful one as well, and I hope to think on it a lot more.

Also, memo to self, never have a story filled with archaeologists when it takes you so long to spell the damn word.

Novel in November

Missed it by a mile, and I do feel a little bit that it wasn't my fault. Not entirely. But excuses are a bit pathetic on this, so I shall just try and get Digging up the Past done at a 2,000 words per day rate. I am really disappointed with myself.

After that is finished I am planning on alternating days when I write for fiction net and days when I write something I hope to get published - if any one knows any publishers or agents please point them in my direction. I also intend to only post up on a Sunday, so there is a decent amount up at a time. Hopefully the rhythm will get me a bit further.

I really appreciate the support, thank you!

Digging up the Past Chapter Six

Chapter Six is up.

Total - @ 18,500 and three days to go. The novel in November isn't looking good, but I am optimistic I will get near it.

Back again

Back from Pickering a day early on account of snow. It was not too bad, but we came home before it got worse. Little bear and OH had a marvellous time, as did darling father.

Little bear is a bit too clear thinking. He is not four until after Christmas. When he was running up and down meowing OH asked if he was a cat. 'No, I me pretending to be a cat.'

We had a log fire going all day every day and I thoroughly enjoyed that. As our bins have not been collected for nearly a month, the thought of being able to burn all sorts of bits and bats is wonderful. Perhaps in the new year I can find the funds for a stove.

Little bear exhausted, swollen of tonsil and now diagnosed with eczema, through the most almighty tantrum last night and was asleep with exhaustion within five minutes of finally calming down. I felt like joining him. I shared a bed with him over the holiday and one morning he woke me up so early I could hear the owls.

Infection in arm continues.

I cannot imagine that I will get the word count for Novel in November done, but I managed, thanks to OH, to get just over 3,000 words done in while on holiday and I will get them posted up later.

Now off to physio, the first session after I dislocated my shoulder 3 November. It could be worse, I didn't get any last time I dislocated so I won't grumble. I shall just panic that I can't find the place in an unfamiliar hospital.

Looking for faces

Apparently comic artists often use a famous face as a 'reference' for a character, to keep the features constant. I have found that very useful in the past.

With The Forgotten Village and Digging up the Past, it hasn't been like that. I have a really, really strong image of Mike Doyle, but I suspect that it comes from a brief glimpse of an advert for an xbox game. I can't remember exactly where I saw it, but it is very vivid. Karen is quite like this person in looks, with a bit of that, and Darren is definitely almost like someone I worked with twenty years ago.

Last night I saw some of the England game. And suddenly I saw Joel. I had no strong image for him, but last night I saw Gourcuff for France. I know nothing about the man, I had never heard of him before, but his looks are quite close to how I see Joel, except Joel is more a rugby build and a little older. http://www.sofeminine.co.uk/star/pictures-512308-yoann-gourcuff.html

And just think, all this writing gives me license to look at pictures of good looking men. What a hardship!

Drat and poot

I shouldn't really be sitting here. I have the same symptoms as I had when the dr diagnosed me with phlebitis in my leg. Where I have to keep the leg up. Not cramped on a typist's chair. Not tapping away at Chapter Six.

Ever feel that the universe is trying to tell you something?

Except that said 'phlebitis' - if it is that - is probably caused by long sitting on said typists chair and lack of other exercise. It is a symptom of my determination to do the challenge.

Having said that, I am currently hoping that I have enough plot to make 50,000 words. Raymond Chandler, when he was stuck, used to have a man with a gun enter the room. It may have caused a few hiccups on the plot line but it got him going. Watch out for men holding guns

Digging up the Past Chapter Five

Chapter Five is up.

I am just under 14,000 words, or 36,000 words to hit the target. I've got a bit of a challenge. But it could be so much worse.

I am just about to start Chapter Six.

Digging up the Past Chapter Four

Chapter Four is up, rather against the odds.

My left hand and arm is swelling up so I am hoping to type and generally move around my fingers to try and keep the swelling down.