After a very long day yesterday that had me questioning when and why us humans decided to make life, our lives so complicated it’s comforting to get back to writing today. Submerging myself in a fictional world grounds me, calms the disquiet and restores my soul.
That is all…
February was good to me.
On Valentine’s Day Choc Lit announced its Search for a Star competition shortlist. I was delighted and grateful if not a little stunned to discover my novel Ordering Flynn Matthews had made the cut along with five others.
Cue flights of fancy of it being published with a gorgeous book cover (Choc Lit has amazing cover designs!), being made into a movie – the story really lends itself to the big screen, honest – doesn’t hurt to dream and hey in the spirit of the book and its main character Ellie I’m putting it out there in the hope of triggering the universe’s law of attraction and turning my dreams into reality!
My fellow shortlisters are lovely, accomplished and talented which doesn’t bode well for me!
Being shortlisted means I have returned to editing Failing Flynn Matthews and Working Flynn Matthews. Although Ordering Flynn Matthews can be a standalone novel there are sequels.
Thanks to Carrie, John, Lydia and Sam for reading my stories and for their valued feedback! And thanks to my editor Debz Hobbs-Wyatt too!
The good news continued as a few days later I successfully interviewed for a job with a charity! Ten hours a week which works perfectly with writing. I’m looking forward to starting early April.
It’s years since I went on a march and with my Behcet’s under control I decided to become more proactive and move on from just being an armchair supporter of Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the Green Party. So February saw me join the Green Party and sign up for the Time to Act march for action on climate change in London on 7th March. My children are marching too, so my daughter and I will be meeting her uni student brother there. We went banner making in Bristol on Saturday and met some wonderful dedicated activists. We’re looking forward to next weekend!
Best news of all. 😉 It’s official. Dark chocolate is a super food! Fact. (Dietitians may disagree)
My weekly supply…you think I’m joking
This year has flown by. My last post was in February. I had intended to post every month which is a reasonable aim I think however ten months later here’s my second post of the year!
So where was I? Ah yes, Ordering Flynn Matthews – no agents interested yet so after being ‘nagged’ by a couple of my readers, you know who you are ;), I’ve entered it into the Choc Lit Search for a Star Competition hoping they find my flawed heroes irresistible! You never know…
My Blood Rain manuscript is currently with an agent. In anticipation of her liking it, channelling positivity, finally this month I edited the second novel in the trilogy, Blood Moon. I need to write the finale, Blood Stone – story outline written so I’ll get to that after I’ve finished my latest project.
So what have I done in the ten months since I last posted? Written three novels (80,000+ words each) that’s what! Whether they get published is immaterial (although it would be vindication for the time spent away from my family and all the burnt, late dinners!) I won’t give up writing. I get agitated if I don’t get time to write! It’s an addiction. It truly is.
Ordering Flynn Matthews is a stand alone novel however I have written a sequel Failing Flynn Matthews. I took a break from Flynn and wrote a romantic suspense novel No Blame – it’s dark and unlike my other novels has two points of view. Two weeks ago I completed Working Flynn Matthews. I’m resting all three for the moment. I will do another edit before sending them to my kindle for a read. I find it helps me with spotting typos and seeing if it flows like an actual book! After saving up the pennies I’ll send them to my editor Debz Hobbs-Wyatt who provides a wonderful service. In celebration of the first birthday of her debut novel she’s offering a limited number of reduced price in-depth novel critiques this December. So for anyone looking for a professional edit I can’t recommend her highly enough and her normal rates are very competitive too.
I have plenty of ideas for new stories and have started on my next project The Horse’s Head inspired by a gorgeous notebook (my weakness) I bought on a trip to Camden Market in the summer. It’s become our favourite market to frequent, slightly inconvenient considering we live in Somerset!
The inspirational notebook!
In my last post I was busy editing Blood Moon the sequel to Blood Rain – I haven’t quite finished yet as an idea for a new novel wouldn’t stop nagging at me. So four months later and after an edit from Debz Hobbs-Wyatt (more later on Debz) and a busy weekend getting it ready my contemporary adult novel Ordering Flynn Matthews is seeking representation. I emailed a synopsis and the first three chapters to a few carefully chosen agents today.
I haven’t sent Blood Rain out since my last update, not that I’ve given up on it, I still believe in the story, it’s very current considering the extreme weather we’re getting, although I’m not sure it’s happening for the same reasons as in my novel! however Ordering Flynn Matthews has taken over for the time being. Or maybe it’s Flynn Matthews who’s taken over. I’m already writing the sequel Failing Flynn Matthews.
Before I get back to Flynn I must tell you that of all the books I read last year the one that stands out most and I would recommend as a definite read is While No One Was Watching by Debz Hobbs Wyatt. 32 5* reviews on Amazon already! Wonderfully heartfelt with engaging characters, fabulous relationships and a fifty year old mystery to solve.
Oh and one more thing, a few days before Christmas we were lucky enough to go to the Warner Bros Studio Harry Potter Tour If you ever get the chance it’s well worth it! Truly magical 🙂 No idea where the owl photo comes from so can’t credit the person who made it but thank you whoever you are. It’s cuter and preferable to the one of me on a broomstick.
After a busy summer today is my first day back at ‘work’ and so far so good the procrastinating is going well!
During the summer months I meant to edit the rewrite of Blood Moon but never got round to it plus my laptop died. Apparently five years old in the computer world is elderly! Fortunately I had all my writing saved to a memory stick which is only something I started doing this year, thank goodness. Always back-up at the end of every writing day!
I haven’t managed to hook an agent yet and since my last post where I wrote about having the Blood Rain manuscript requested I’ve had a couple of standard rejections plus three more very positive rejections. When the agent has strayed away from the standard rejection they have commented that although it’s not for them (staying positive it will be for one agent!) they enjoyed it and it stands out from the majority of submissions they receive. I put that down to having Blood Rain professionally edited. I ‘met’ my editor Debz Hobbs-Wyatt when she edited my short story Trojan for On This Day anthology and she was my first thought for editing my novel. She is having a very well deserved successful year and her first novel While No One Was Watching will be published next month! Check out her blog for what an editor does and excellent writing tips!
Before I get back to editing, I shall procrastinate a little more and share that it’s been a fruitful year in my garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, french beans, apples and plums. Here’s my shed hiding in the foliage.
My cute shed
Blood Rain submission sent. Out of three: two standard rejections and wait for it, one request for the full manuscript as the agent’s ‘very intrigued by the story and looking forward to reading it.’
Following the obligatory cartwheels – after all only approx 5% of submissions get a request for the full manuscript – I send off Blood Rain. Word of advice check it before sending; finding errors after, however minor, is not good for the nerves!
While remembering only 1% of requested manuscripts are successful in landing an agent I’ve been enjoying the positives of getting to the next stage. Someone has taken note, someone thinks my writing’s good enough, there’s hope.
Okay this week that hope fades for a few minutes as the top agent emails and says ‘I very much enjoyed reading your work however…’ I’ve decided to see this rejection as a positive; she enjoyed reading it and didn’t need to say that. Don’t tell me otherwise 😉
So as Ben Howard would say ‘keep your head up, keep your heart strong’ – now where did I put my copy of Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2013?
My YA novel Blood Rain is back from its full edit by the wonderful Debz Hobbs-Wyatt. She’s a brilliant editor and also a writer whose work I admire so her words that I write well and it’s a good novel worthy of publishing mean a lot.
Of course there are no guarantees that will happen but I’m determined to try and currently have the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2013 to hand looking at agents/publishers to submit to. It’s a little daunting but also exciting!
My short story Trojan was published on 21st June 2012 in On This Day, an anthology of short stories. The kindle version will be out in July – date to follow.
Stories had to be linked to a “world stopping event” for the competition. The event was to be the backdrop for the story. Trojan takes place during the London bombings on 07/07/2005.
Trojan
The blast brought clarity to her thoughts. She was no soldier but every day of her life was a fight without hope of defeating the enemy… today fate presented her with the opportunity to win the war. In that moment of truth Meg took her moment to live.
Hastily she left Market Crescent and returned to the scene of the explosion. Traffic was at a standstill, a broken bus was the centre of activity, its roof peeled off and back end open. A fine layer of dust covered everything and the paper that had been flying around before, now lay on the ground. The screaming she had ignored ten minutes earlier was replaced by the wailing sound of sirens. She saw two blood soaked bodies crumpled on the pavement. She ought to help. It would be the right thing to do… that’s what people did when others were in need. Meg shakily picked her way through the rubble. Her right ankle went over as she trod on a broken wing mirror and she grabbed a metal railing to steady herself. The reality of it hit her. With blood on her hands she could not deny what she had done.
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If you want to read more of Trojan and the other stories order your copy by clicking on the book cover below:
lgflannigan 