Sharing the highs & lows with others + tips

 

Photo by NMG Network on Unsplash

I'm having a catch-up on my magazines now I'm taking a break from writing (though I'm writing here, and do some form of writing every day, but you know what I mean). Two articles caught my eye, both in Writing Magazine. One was in the October issue and the second in the November issue. The first spoke about writers only talking about their successes and not their disappointments. Hey, have they met me? I've always written about the lows. I may have had a little success recently (big in my goal-setting), but it has taken me years for this, and I still remember how low I felt at one time. I almost quit. And the sad fact is that some writers never make it and/or quit writing.

I don't kid myself that now things will be easier. This is a high, a big one for me, but at some stage I have to go back to submitting my work and going through the whole rejection and lows again. What's different is that these days I don't let it get to me as I once did. Which brings me to the second article about how to survive the lows.

Basically, setting out as a writer, there is no way you can avoid the rejections and pain. We all go through it. I've even heard bestselling writers talk about crying over the phone to an agent who says the second book is not good enough. They struggle too. Life is tough as a writer.

Here are my tips on this aspect of writing from my own experience (some of this I've written about before):

• Submit several things and keep doing it. Don't sit around waiting to hear (sometimes you get no response at all). Keep working away, submitting and trying to forget about hearing back from anyone. That way you are not dwelling on the reply and eventually rejections won't hurt so much.
• After a rejection, mourn, have a tantrum, do whatever you need to for a day and then forget it. Look at the piece again. Can you do more edits to improve it? Then submit the piece elsewhere. The reason for rejection may not be down to your writing (which we all think is the reason). You have to remember how many submissions agents and magazines get.
• If you get a request to send more of your work after a rejection, do send them something else for the next open submission window. They may have liked your piece but have no room to publish it. A positive rejection is worth having and remembering.
• If you are lucky enough to have feedback on your work (rare, but it does happen, and some will give feedback at a price), take note of what is said and go back to the piece and see if you agree. They are usually right, even if at first you are so angry you want to throw your laptop through the window. It's happened to me! This is the way you learn.
• Nothing is ever wasted. Even a piece that doesn't quite work may do in something else. I rarely throw anything away, just in case. And do keep a note of where and when you send things. Some small presses don't mind multiple submissions, but I try to avoid that. I write everything down in a book as well as writing a card. The card is good because its easier to see where pieces have been sent before (so you don't send it back to the same place a few months later). Excel works for some people, but I hate it. Do what works for you.
• Celebrate each acceptance and when they build up, remember these when you are having months of rejections and feeling down. We are such a negative lot, us writers. It doesn't matter how many successes we have, it's the rejections we remember. But if you have been published, especially after a few times, your work has found the heart of someone who wants to publish you. That's a big thing.
• If you are lucky enough to have a book published, enjoy it, celebrate it. Now you have to go and write another one!
• Do talk about those lows, the difficulties you experience because it actually helps others. Writing is a lonely business, and we need to talk about the highs and low with other writer. They are the only ones who will understand. If you talk to non-writing friends you may get that devastating line, 'Well, it's only a hobby.' It maybe, depending on why you write, but for others it's a slap in the face.
• Do you have goals? Some people go all out with big, unrealistic goals that are doomed to fail. Once,  in the past, I set myself a goal of 'making it' in the five years I'd given myself. Ha! My advice, aim low, that way you are less likely to be disappointed, and any success is then a bonus. Example: For my first self-published book my goal was to sell 20 books. I sold about 22, so I was really pleased. For Tinsel Street my aim was to sell more than that book. Goal reached!

Photo by Ashutosh khot on Unsplashhighs

My writing goals for this year were to publish two books, and I've done that. Leading up to those came years of writing, re-writing and editing, and in the case of the Lawnmower book, gathering work previously published over a number of years. I've not thought about goals for next year yet. After the year I've had it's too soon. I've had family illness and my cousin's estate to attend to while all this was going on. Talk about stress!

So, keep submitting. No submitting means no chances. Get your name out there one way or another. Choose smaller competitions if that's what you are drawn to. Big poetry competitions seem to be dominated by big-name poets. Try not to dwell on the negatives, and celebrate the positives and acceptances. Let everyone know. Get on social media and follow poets/writers you like. Even though X is toxic these days, I do find competitions and submission windows through them.

If you writing novels some of the above applies. We would all love to be traditionally published, but the more I read about it, the less I think it would be for me. That is a choice you have to make and another whole blog post! However, it's down to goals again and what you deem success.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Poetry & Music and a Tinsel Street Update

Karin Kamar

 I'm staggered and on a second high, but I'll come to that shortly.

Out-Spoken

On 27th November I went along to another Out-Spoken event. This time it was back in its usual place, the Purcell Room. I had no idea who the poets or musicians were, but that's part of the fun. There is usually a surprise.

The first poet was Haia Mohammed from Gaza. Oh my, what a story she related of her life in Gaza, and when she read her poetry, you could have heard a pin drop. She moved people to tears, and she received a standing ovation. The room was filled with chants of Free Palestine. Wow, amazing. I bought her book.

Haia Mohammed

Other poets included Ozifa Benson and Luke Kennard. I really liked Luke's poetry. Using the story of Jonah and the Whale, but updated, this was a witty rendition of different parts of the story. I might have to check his poetry out. He's won lots of prizes, yet I'd never heard of him.

Ozifa Benson

Luke Kennard

Shanteh

Musicians were Karim Kamar (classical pianist who I've seen a few times there), Jared Nandra who played boogie-woogie and Shanteh, whose loop pedal I was fascinated with.

So an interesting evening.

Tinsel Street

I seem to have started a fad. Most people who have bought my book (people I met) began reading in on 28th November when the book starts. All the chapters start on a date. I've been told by various people that they are hooked and can't wait to see what happens to the characters. That is so pleasing. When you send a book (or any writing) out into the world, you never know how it will be received. Will they get you and what you are saying? Will they like the characters? Which ones will they prefer? Tinsel Street is my baby. I spent five years on it, and I love my characters. They have become my friends, and I would quite like to know what happens to them next. So, there may well be a sequel.  When is another matter. I've neglected other parts of my writing this year to get the 'Lawnmower' book and Tinsel Street published, but it has been worth it.

I found out yesterday that I have sold 75% of the print run of Tinsel Street! I cannot believe it. My goals are always low. I prefer it that way, so I am gobsmacked that this has happened. People are saying lovely things (please say them in reviews!) and the new box of books I ordered has diminished, and I think I shall be left with three spares. 

A new box of books arrives

My penfriend in Switzerland who works in a book shop (she is also a crime writer), has asked her colleague if she would order one of my books for the English table. She's ordered three!

I have a quote up on Troubador's website about my experience with them as my publisher. They have been great and so supportive.

I was given a few gifts at my book launch by friends. Each one was beautiful, lovely flowers, beautiful words and a bag that made me laugh out loud. Thanks. You've all been fantastic.

It's not too late to buy a book while stocks last! But out of all this, it is so nice to know people like my stories. This was always my aim. I've never sought big money (ha, likely chance anyway). I only ever wanted to share my stories with people and for them to take them to heart. I'm never going to be a bestseller writer, but I don't care. Small goals!

Playlist for Tinsel Street on YouTube

 I have just put together the Tinsel Street Playlist on YouTube, for those of you who don't use Spotify. Never let it be said that I don't think of my readers!

Here is the link. I have also added this to the Publishing History. Oh, and if you have bought my book, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Many thanks.

Successful Book Launch of Tinsel Street

Talking to Judith about writing

 I think I may have just about returned to earth after my book launch last week. It's taken me this long to get around to posting, partly because the video my son took needed some editing and he was short of time.

I was overwhelmed by the number of people who came along to the book launch. Friends/family came from Herftordshire, Sussex, Norfolk and Ireland. There were surprises, people I didn't expect, people I didn't know, and everyone was wonderful and said lovely things about the book cover.One group were going to start the book on the 28th November, the date the book begins.

The talk went well, and there were some interesting questions from the audience at the end. A queue of people lined up with books to be signed. Time flew by. I sold every book and have had to order another small batch, of which eight are already spoken for. 

For a first book, the turnout was amazing. I'd read somewhere that only 10% of people who attend book launches buy books. I hadn't intended to take all the books along until I heard how many may be there, and then I took the whole box. We had to bring in extra seats for people. I even sold a few of my previous books.

Thanks to my eldest son for being my media man and tackling the card reader for book payments.. He also put together the bookmarks with my card for each book.

Nearly all the refreshments went (the drinks certainly did), and I thought I'd overdone it! My friend Judith did a marvelous job with introductions, 'interviewing' me, setting up the chairs ahead of time and clearing up at the end while I said final goodbyes to friends.

Since then I have been uploading the photos, taking further orders, and thinking what next?

Thanks to my family for pitching in on the night and my wonderful friends for their support, and those I didn't know who also bought my book. 

It was a wonderful evening and I still can't believe it all went so well. Right now I am taking part in FlashNANO, writing a flash story every day throughout November. It's going pretty well, and I receive a daily prompt by email to work with. I am also doing some editing. However, I can now start to think about Christmas. My diary doesn't know what's hit it, and I need some time to relax. It's been one hell of year!

Book Launch - The countdown is on!

 

Under three hours to go to my book launch. Am I nervous? You bet! Hopefully, I've got myself organised, and everything will just flow.

In my last post I meant tp say that I have had a flash story published by Underbelly Press. This is my second showing in this lovely Ezine this year, and I'm proud of this story. You can read my story here.

See you soon.

Famous names and me!

 Out-Spoken

Life has become rather hectic lately, so much so, that I thought I'd written a blog post about the Out-Spoken event I attended, and now I can't find the list of people guesting. No matter - the famous ones I remember!

Out-Spoken is usually held in the Purcell Room on the Southbank, but the event was moved to the Queen Elizabeth Hall. What was amazing is that they kept the ticket price the same, just £15. It is always an evening of poetry and music, and often I've never come across the poets before. This time they had Simon Armatage, Jackie Kay and Michael Rosen. 

I came across Jackie Kay's poetry when I studied at the OU and we looked at a poem of hers. This made me seek out other things she had written, including several novels. She was also the after-dinner speaker at the Mslexia writing conference in Leeds a good few years ago. So, I've kind of followed her. Simon Armatage is a poet whose work I have read for many years. He hasc  done some installation poetry in the hills (Penine Way?). Michael Rosen I'd heard of, yet never read anything by him. I thought he was more a children's' poet, but I was wrong, though he does write for children. He had a long stay in hospital with Covid and wrote a lot about that.

Michael Rosen

The singers on the night I had not come across before, though the pianist had appeared at Out-Spoken before, and he is very good. The other two were a girl with a backing band and a guy from the Caribbean whose music is a fusion of reggae and jazz. Both acts were good.

The singers

Up first in the poetry performers was Michael Rosen. His poetry was a mix of funny and serious. There was even humour in his 'hospital' poetry. There were a couple of more political poems, including Don't Mention the Children, a poem for Gaza (see below) and a poem about Nigel Farage! Michael's performance has made me want to read more of his poetry.

Next up was Jackie Kay, whose performance I strangely remember least about, I'm sorry to say. maybe because of the build-up to see Simon Armatage! 

Jackie Kay

Simon Armatage was the highlight of the evening, for me, at least. He read various poems including one using those buzz words business people use, that no one but them understands. It was hilarious. I could have listened to him all night.

Simon Armatage

I was sitting in the rear stalls, but with my phone camera set on maximum zoom, I was able to capture a few half-decent shots. It really was a great evening.

Booker Prize Readings

I went to this event last night with a writer friend. Again it was on the Southbank, this time in the Royal Festival Hall. This isn't something I would normally attend, but it was good to see my friend. For those don't know (and I didn't), the shortlist for the Booker Prize are:

Flashlight - Susan Choi

The Loneliness of Sonia & Sunny - Kiran Desai

Audition - Katie Kitamura

The Rest of our Lives - Ben Markovits

The Land in Winter - Andrew Miller

Flesh - David Szalay

I've not come across any of the authors before, though Kiran Desai is the daughter of Anita Desai, whose books I have read. If you want to know more about these books, click here.

Each author read a piece from their books, though the readings were shorter than I expected.They were then 'interviewed' by the host. In the main, the books all seemed very intense, and nothing really stood out, except the one by Ben Markovits. I liked him, He was funny, and the book has humour in it. This appealed to me. Right now I'm looking for books with humour in them, and of course I write a lot of humour. There are times in life when only humour works. I have to be in the right mood for some of those deeply intense stories.

There was a lot of talk about writing with risk, but this was never fully explained, and at times I had no idea what was being discussed. Is this what Booker Prizes is about? It's all very serious and above me. The winner will be announced today - tonight. While the concept of these books sound interesting, none of the readings made me want to go out and buy one, certainly not in hardback! I'm rooting for Ben, and I may buy his book when it appears in paperback.

Me

I had a pre-launch meeting for Tinsel Street with my friend. She's very efficient, and turned up with a spidergram plan and coloured pens, I laughed. I hope I didn't offend her. He is so organised, while I muddle along. However, she is the right person to have on board. We went through where things will be on the night - books, refreshments etc., and what will happen in sequence. It is now two days away! Eek! I am part filled with nerves and part with excitement. It will be lovely to see many of my friends who are coming from near and far for the event. I am even going to be making my bran fruit loaf (vegan) to cut up into squares. Let's hope this isn't the time for cooking disasters, because yes, I'm stressed. Otherwise, I have bought all the drinks and nibbles for the event.

My son is going to take photos on the night, so I will have something to show you in my next blog post.

I can tell you that I have now got Tinsel Street into my local library. I went down to ask if I could leave some leaflets and then presented them with the book. Although they couldn't find it on their system, they asked if I could leave it with them and they would see if it could be catalogued. A little over a week later, they emailed me to say it was on their shelf. I went down there a few days later and found it on the recently returned shelf! Oh, the excitement! And I'm overusing exclamation marks here, but I never imagined I'd have book on a library shelf (oh, in my dreams maybe, but to actually happen?)

Until next time, happy reading. Maybe see you at the book launch?

Tinsel Street - the lowdown

 When Kitty O'Brien moves into Tinsel Street with her daughters, just before Christmas, she throws a drinks party and invites her neighbours. But while Kitty is bringing the community together, her own life is falling apart. (Part of the blurb from Tinsel Street)

Tinsel Street is a story about community, friendship and love. Let's face it, gone are the days when people knew who their neighbours were. We might know them by sight, but do we know their names? Do we know anything about them? Apart from the two friends in Tinsel Street, Vera and Alison, Tinsel Street is much like any other road where people pass each other and maybe say hello, but that's it. Kitty wants to change all that. It's what she does, and it's a distraction from her own problems. Yet in the end she has to confront them.

Tinsel Street is set in a fictional town called Willesby, near to the city of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. Some of the scenes in the book take place in Peterborough. I spent a few days in there checking my locations and taking lots of photos. Why did I pick that city? Well, I was going to choose Ipswich, but I already had a story located near there, so I plumped for Peterborough. I really liked the city when I visited. There is lots to do, and it has a river (always a plus with me as I love rivers). Suddenly my characters came to life more when I could see where they walked, even though only a handful of scenes are set there. It gave me a feel for the area, and I had time to explore Flag  Fen Archeological Park, a 3000 year old Bronze Age settlement, as well as other places in the city itself.

Flag Fen (replica building)

The book took five years to get to publication, including three years in the writing. I began it in the run-up to Christmas and then ran out of steam after festivities, and didn't return to it until the next Christmas. In the end, I had to bite the bullet and write at non-Christmas times to get it finished. Otherwise I might still be writing it! Then there was the editing, rewrites and more editing before sending out into the world. And here we are. Finally, a book in my hands. Actually, a box of books! It was the most exciting thing to open that box and see my story in book form. It is something I dreamed about for years, yet never thought would actually happen.

So, who are these characters of mine who have become my friends? Here is a little about the major characters of Tinsel Street:

• I've already mentioned Vera and Alison. Alison loves to bake and thinks it is the cure for all ills. The two friends spend time together and often frequent the local cafe for cake and teacakes! 
• Arnold is retired, but has a special job at Christmas....which he hates! He is grumpy and dislikes the dog next door with a vengeance. He keeps himself to himself, but someone wants to change that.
• The owner of the dog, called Mitzy, is Sally, and she has her own problems. Something that happened in her past is both a struggle and a delight, and she doesn't know which way it will go.
• Jamie is the paperboy, a kid with his head firmly on his shoulders, except when it comes to Keya, the daughter of Mr Patel, the corner shop owner.
• Mr Patel sees all and has his eye on Christmas for making extra cash and having a traditional English Christmas dinner with his wife, his parents and his children. They have other ideas.
• Ellie works at Drayton's Department Store and is in the doldrums after a break-up with her boyfriend. She is not looking for a new love interest, but with all the parties suddenly happening, will she find someone?
• Jo has lost everything. Can he fall much lower? Well, this is Tinsel Street and maybe people are learning from Kitty as the residents are beginning to pull together.

Some other little nuggets:

• My favourite characters to write were Vera and Alison (Alison in particular) and Arnold. 
• One of my beta readers really loved Sally's story. 
• There is a lot of humour throughout. 
• Each character has a story.
• This is a feel-good contemporary Christmas story.

The book comes with a playlist (see my Publishing History page for the link, or if you come to my book launch on 12th November, the bookmarks have a QR code).

I hope you have enjoyed this delve into Tinsel Street. I've tried not to give any spoilers. If you want to know my characters' stories and whether Kitty sorts out her own problems, you'll have to read the book!

A few photos of Peterborough from my trip in May 2023:

Locations: Where Jo does his busking (above)
and the bell (right) gets a mention in the book

Peterborough Cathedral

Searching for a location

River Nene

Central Library gets a mention too