FOREIGN FLAVOURS ANTHOLOGY

Those of you who know me will probably be sick of this call already and it's not even a week since I started the campaign. But anyway, marketing is marketing!


Call For Submissions: Foreign Flavours

• Theme: Food, drink and cooking from around the world
• Genre: Fiction and Non Fiction
• Submissions from ex pats and re pats via the Writers Abroad Site
• Deadline - 9th September 2011
• Fee/Prize - No Fee, No Prize but all proceeds from publication will go to The Book Bus Charity

And our foreword this year is being written by acclaimed author (famed for his Ladies No 1 Detective Agency Series), Alexander McCall Smith.


Plenty of time to get those creative muses running...


Don't Think Just Write

WRITING STRUGGLE

Muse On the Run
My muse has up and left this week. Maybe it' the cold weather, maybe she's just in need of a rest. I know we all get down times and I guess this is mine. I'm determined not to let it get to me so I've been sorting all my writing projects out, updating submissions and re-looking at all my 'works in progress' especially my Monday Muses at Writers Abroad. So sometimes it's good that the Muse goes missing as it gives us time to reflect on what we have done and what we can maybe do. So after a very frustrating three days I'm beginning to smile again even though she hasn't returned. She will, it's just part of a writers life. No point in complaining to you lot anyway, because you all know what its like. Just wanted to tell you, it's OK, I'm OK and I will be back writing. Why? Because I know I want to and therefore I will and I'll take a piece of my own advice which I share on each blog...
Don't Think Just Write!

WRITER TURNED PUBLISHER

Writers Abroad Anthology in Print
Yes, that's right. The Writers Abroad Anthology of Short Stories can be purchased in hard copy (that's a real book to most of us) from Lulu. Although the Anthology is available for free download as an E book from the Writers Abroad Home Page, we couldn't resist the temptation to produce our very precious production in print. The exercise itself has been very interesting and despite some hair pulling moments a very pleasurable experience and one I wouldn't mind doing again. Lulu offers a 'print on demand' service and therefore doesn't have thousands of copies sat in some warehouse. This can make the end product a little more expensive than normal purchases but not much and we were also provided with a free ISBN number so can put it up on Amazon and other related sites. Lulu allows you to set a profit too, so you can make money out of your publications if you wish to. 


This isn't something we wanted to do as our Anthology was produced in support of National Short Story Week but that is food for thought. However, publishing through Lulu does have other issues you need to bear in mind, the biggest being that you have to also be the marketing department as well as the editor, designer and publisher. So if you want to make some return on your efforts (there is no other cost involved and of course Lulu takes a cut from all sales anyway) then you really need to consider this carefully. 
So if you want to purchase a copy follow this link to Lulu and please, tell me what you think!



Don't Think Just Write

YOUR WRITING EGO

And Receiving Feedback
Most writers seek feedback on their writing. Certainly if you are hoping for publication, the biggest feedback you can have is the number of books sold. But this is equally true of articles, short stories and even flash fiction. Having your work read by other writers who can provide succinct and constructive critiques before submission could mean the difference between the slush pile and the coveted letter of acceptance. 
But many of us (and I'm talking from a personal perspective here)sometimes find it difficult to accept some of the feedback. I suppose it depends on the way things are going, writing or life wise, but sometimes a comment, meant to help, throws you into a fit of the wobblies and a dip in your confidence as a writer. This is, I would imagine, the same for anyone receiving feedback on their performance. I recall the dreaded day of appraisals when working in the real world, with managers who wouldn't know the meaning of constructive feedback if they fell over it! But if we want to develop ourselves as writers, we need to continue to seek and respond to feedback in a way that benefits our writing. We then may move from being a pedestrian writer to growing into our own writing style and being recognised as such. 


Since creating Writers Abroad, a writing community for Ex-pat writers I have grown a thousand fold in terms of my writing. And I will keep repeating this claim because the feedback I have received has resulted in being my work being short listed and published. And it's not just me, other members too. I must say that I am far more gracious with my fellow writers comments as they understand what it feels like, the scrutiny, rather like an audition for a movie but in virtual terms. They understand the hard work; the occupation of your world by characters that may need to be ditched; that perfect description which 'tells' instead of 'shows'; the scene which although funny, adds nothing to the story and has to go. So although their feedback is honest and direct, it is countered with suggestions, thoughts and lots of  nitpicks which I happily go along with (though I probably need prodding about cutting that scene).
So for what its worth, here is my advice for taking it on the nose in terms of feedback on your writing...

• Accept that it is normal you are going to feel emotional about parts of your story. Having read the feedback, put it aside for a few days and let it stew. You will see the sense.
• Keep an open mind about characters, scenes and settings. Listen to the feedback, see it through a readers eye.
• Try out the suggestions and see for yourself. Never delete your first drafts, you can always go back if you feel it doesn't really work.
• Put the feedback into practice with your other work. Writing critiques can often pick up on areas that you may be weak on. Use it to develop your craft.
• Accept that feedback is part of your personal development as a writer. For me it is far more valuable than attending a course or reading a 'how to' book. 

So don't banish your writing ego, it's the part which makes you the writer you are. But no ego is perfect and that goes for its writing too.

Don't Think Just Write

NEW TOOLS AND GADGETS

Are Big Distractions
As many of you who may bother to read my ramblings will know - I've had a very sick computer. Considering it was over 6 years old (which must mean millennia in computing terms) I suppose I've had my penny's worth. So yesterday a lovely new PC arrived and I've (well me and my Man Friday) spent the last how many hours transferring, downloading, getting tetchy and sitting back and marvelling at all the new things. So have I written? Not a lot as you might imagine.


I did manage to upload a piece on 'How To Create an Online Writers Group' the new How To website who are looking for authors. One of my pals, Alyson, on WritersAbroad nudged me about a competition they had. And I have a list of pieces I wanted to submit by the end of the month. What? That's tomorrow you say?! Well, as usual the damn deadlines come around quicker than I can say 'edit' and that's several more opportunities I've missed. How can I fulfil my ambition to get published if I don't submit? Well I can't and neither can you. So what are you doing reading this blog? Get on and get that manuscript polished until it shines and then hit the Send button. Quick, Go On!


Don't Think Just Write

EDIT OR REWRITE?

To Cut or Not to Cut?

Writing, as we all know, is a process of sorts. It needs to follow some kind of order, which for the largest part can be decided by the individual writer. But all writers have to edit. As an apprentice writer of some years standing, I am only just beginning to understand this part of the process. 


Like many, I see my first draft as a kind of sacred script which needs gentle handling and the utmost care. Since joining Writers Abroad I have discovered, thanks to the very constructive feedback from members, that the first draft always needs a second re-write, often and third and very occasionally a fourth. I know deep in the recesses of my mind that there isn't a writer out there who can produce a perfect first draft and it is that piece which will end up on the bookshelves and finally on the readers lap. I'm not that stupid. But I suppose what I didn't grasp was the extent to which the first draft very well might change. Huge sections of text, dialogue, back story, imagery and characters may well need to be slashed and burned. My fingers hover nervously over the delete key and I break out into a hot sweat with a wildly beating heart (see what I mean) as I make the decision - 'off with their heads!' Once I've done said deed I panic that I've cut the only bit of the story which was any good. However, I do trust the expertise from my fellow writers and the thing is they don't just glibly pull the story to pieces, they tell you what bits are good, which parts made them laugh or cry, which bits they didn't understand and which bits they think should be carefully put away - somewhere else. And to top all of that, many members are great grammarians (is that the right word?) who can spot a misplaced apostrophe, or a wild adjective or even a pleonasm (I didn't know what that was until a few weeks ago) which all help to shape the story. 


So whether it's editing or rewriting, I finally understand that stories whatever length, need a bit of care, attention and sometimes a bit of a beating into shape. And do I have any evidence for my preaching this week? Well, I've just been informed that my story Smiles and Heartaches has just been short-listed for the Flash500 competition, along with a story of another member from Writers Abroad. 
So go ahead, Slash and Burn!


Also this week, I've posted a book review Louise Charles' blog on the last book of the Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. And having now got my editing brain into action I have been setting up a new website to track the progress of the edit...no re-writing process for my four (yes four) novels in progress... watch this space for further details.




Don't Think Just Write

WRITERS ABROAD HAVE MOVED

To a New and Exciting Home
Yep, if you have been following the saga of our search for a new site you will be pleased to know that it is finally at an end. Our old site (on Ning) is now defunct - well it will be by the end of play today. We have moved to Spruz, a great platform because it has many of the things we liked about Ning and much, much more. I have seen more activity in the last couple of weeks because we are now settled, which is great and means that my fellow writers are writing! 


We have some new members, Vanessa and Marit joined us just before the bombshell about finding a new home dropped and have been most supportive. David, Greg and Leanne joined during the move and so will be making their presence felt on the new site.


Many of our members are busy working on projects for the Flash 500 Fiction competition in June and we have had some fantastic, funny, quirky, historical and sorrowful pieces submitted so perhaps Writers Abroad will make an appearance on the short-list again! In the first competition we had three members featured, so it goes to show that feedback and constructive criticism can really shape your writing. 


And I have to mention in despatches that Alyson has got through to the next round of the Brit Writers Award, a very prestigious competition which had over twenty-one thousand entries! So we are all willing her on to being placed and if not - it's the taking part that counts!


I have submitted a book review on The Remains of the Day on Louise Charles, uploaded my latest Suite 101 article on Two Takes on Trifles, found an international market to plug my short story (published first by Peoples Friend) and have tidied up four other stories for re-submission later today. So normal service is being resumed, thank goodness!




Don't Think Just Write


Visit Writers Abroad at their new and exciting home!

LOST IN THE WRITING WILDERNESS

But Now Back on Track and On-line
I've been a bit absent lately so many apologies. As some of you may know I have been looking for a new home for my writers community for ex-pats, Writers Abroad. This follows the decision by our current host, Ning, to ditch free sites from July. Well I must admit at first I found the task rather daunting, after three months of finding my way around our site, I was getting used to it. It felt comfortable, not quite like the old armchair next to the fire, but getting there. So after my initial panic and fit of the abdabs, I sat down and decided to approach it like I would any other project. Research, Plan, Review and Get Going! And this week I have opened up our new home to the members of Writers Abroad who are as I speak, having a play and visiting the various rooms, testing out the furniture and generally getting a good feel of the place. I hope we have as much fun, support and success as we have at our previous home and I for one am looking forward to catching up with my very distinguished writing pals there. 


So with this and the other things that life throws in the path of a struggling writer, I have found it difficult to find the space to do my writing. It has been a little like the wilderness in terms of words, and what words I did have seemed to get blown away or interrupted by this and other distractions. I had such a plan for May to which I shall return to and see what I can salvage - I've already amended a piece of flash fiction (A Slip of the Tongue - short-listed for the first  Flash 500 ) and packed it off to another market. So things are feeling calm again and it's good to be home.
I've also managed to write a book review about The Rain Before it Falls by Jonathon Coe on Louise Charles and just uploaded my latest Suite 101 article on Free Social Networking Sites - well I had to put all that experience down in some kind of writing project!


So onwards and upwards and Buona Fortuna to all my writing pals at Writers Abroad!




Don't Think Just Write