Me - In Interview!

Strictly Writing, the other site I write for, is stuffed full of fabulous people.  Not least the other members of the Strictly Team, without whom the dark writing days would seem bleaker.  But by far the best people on the Strictly site are our gamut of lovely followers.

And after I'd announced my recent foray into self-publication, one loyal follower, Derek, invited me to guest post on his blog, here: 'Along The Write Lines' .

And so, *clears throat* I give you.... ME.  being interviewed (I know - mental, isn't it?!).

If I had the technical know-how, I'd print it off and frame it.  Oh hang on..... *prtscrn* *copy* *paste*...... 

Hello... over here! *waves*

Here I am.....
http://www.strictlywriting.blogspot.com being all bloggy about how writing has always been an integral part of that four-letter word - WORK.

And for anybody who's ever wanted to know anything about shrinkwrapping, look no further!

Holding out for a Hero...

I'm blogging over at Strictly Writing today if y'all want to pop over and see what I have to say about Mr Hero.  There's hot coffee and warm muffins too... well, virtually.  See you there!

I Interviewed Lisa Jewell!

I know!

Lovely publisher people, Random House sent me Lisa's new book, 'The Making of Us' (and it's not even released yet!)  I couldn't wait - and couldn't STOP reading it... it's just UTTERLY,  UTTERLY FABULOUS,  there's no other way of saying it.  It should be on prescription, it should be made compulsory reading,  it should be posted through everybody's letterboxes immediately.  Everyone should read this.   And if they don't, well then, they have no soul.

And if you pop over to Strictly Writing right now you can see what Lisa has to say about this new, utterly, utterly fabulous book (oh, did I say that already?) and other things besides. And there's even *whisper* talk of a movie!

Oh, and while you're here, why not read "Why Lisa is the Jewell in my Crown"  post I wrote last year, which I've just noticed that nobody commented on at the time, so I don't know if anybody actually, like, read it or not.  Anyway, if you click on the Lisa Jewell link tag at the end of this post, it'll take you to it (hopefully, I'm not the best at technical wizzardry).

Happy Friday everypeeps!

Lately I've been...

Reading:

The Untied Kingdom by Kate Johnson

I was lucky enough to receive a pre-publication copy of Kate's new book, The Untied Kingdom from publishers Choc Lit, and was delighted to find I CAN read off-genre.  In fact I'd find it difficult to put this book into a current genre. it's a book that has EVERYTHING: romance, quirky humour, surrealism, army warfare and actual proper edge-of-seat intrigue.  And the hero?  Blimey, he's a one-off.  I don't generally fall for paper heroes, but for the powerfully delicious Major Harker I made an exception.  Phew.  If you like your books with a bit of edge and a lot of spark, then this is the one for you.

Small Blue Thing by Sue Ransom

As we speak, Sue actually has a guest post on the Strictly Writing site where she talks about how Small Blue Thing came about.  It's a fascinating story and one which made me gasp, sent shivers up my spine and made me green with envy.  It's certainly made me look at my Blackberry a whole lot differently! It was such a lovely book to read, and the fact that it's teen supernatural romance set around the Thames and St. Paul's Cathedral made it feel so much more accessible.  Much nicer than all these werewolves and strange place names in American suburbs.

The Silver Locket by Margaret James

As I said, I've been delighted to find I can read off-genre and this historical romance set during the First World War made me very happy.  In fact I'm eagerly awaiting Margaret's sequel to The Silver Locket, the Golden Chain and can't wait to find out what's happened to the lovely characters I met in this book.  Simply told, easily read and a story that lingers in the mind for ages afterwards - just how a good story should.

 

Currently, I'm reading  The Glass Painter's Daughter by Rachel Hore which is an absolute joy to fall onto every night and I know I'm going to get one of those Clare Chamber's moments when I'm going to HAVE to get hold of Rachels' last two books. Some beautiful characters and such lovely evocative prose, it's doing me good and it's even making me seriously consider learning music as another language.

Watching:

 Twenty-Twelve - a fictional-documentary (a "mocu-mentary") about the 'Team' set up to ease us into the  Phenomenon which will be the 2012 Olympics. Led by the ever-present, eternally endearing Hugh Bonneville - who looks FAB on his eco-friendly folding bike and luminous headgear at the start of every episode, and supported by comic genius's at every turn.  Last week Team Twenty Twelve spent the entire episode lost on a bus in the middle of London trying to find the Olympic Stadium (where a very impatient Sebastian Coe awaited their eventual non-arrival).  Very funny.

Mrs Brown's Boys -  I'm usually suspicious of any new 'sitcom', simply because they invariably end up being shite.  And I was even more suspicious of the eponymous Mrs Brown because she's a man in drag.  And a gobby, blaspheming Irish man in drag at that.  But I am hooked.  Okay, so the swearing could be cut down a little, but Mrs Brown is SUCH a character that it'd probably dilute her.  This week's episode was such a joy (Grandad faked his own funeral so he got to hear people say nice things about him - who hasn't ever wanted to do this?) and the icing on the cake was a fabulous song-and-dance number at the end.  The fact it's filmed before a studio audience and you get to see the out-takes happen live is such a delight.

Monroe - in our house, anything with James Nesbitt in it is an instant hit.  He doesn't seem to do anything bad.  I even enjoyed his horrible Roman Emperor in the Jesus dramatisation a couple of years ago.  And although I find his neurosurgeon character in this new medical 'drama' slightly tongue-in-cheek and a bit fatuous, it is a likeable romp in an operating theatre.  And you can't say that about a lot of things on telly these days.  I do wish Sarah Parrish would be allowed to smile a bit though, her character's so frosty I'm surprised she's in cardiac and not the morgue. 

The Big C - I don't like a lot of American TV but this one caught my eye when it started a couple of months ago and it's still keeping me entertained so it MUST be good. I've loved Laura Linney ever since she failed to get it on with the very hot, very fit olive-skinned guy in 'Love, Actually' because of her needy brother and in this one, she's equally doomed.  This time she's dying of a melanoma.  Oliver Platt, who plays her long-suffering estranged husband is a treat and her eco-warrior brother is a joy to behold.  The characters are fresh, original and so shockingly honest that I already feel sad that they're not going to be around for a second series (presuming she dies, of course). (Actually, in typical American-melodrama there could of course be a last-minute miracle cure if the viewing figures demand...?)

Writing-wise, I've been subbing this past fortnight and apart from the little sparks of optimism, there's been a lot of rejection.  I don't know why I continue to do this to myself. No doubt I'll spring back but I do feel actually, physically hurt this time round.

Onwards and ... onwards

...cos this is what seems to be happening lately.  Seems I don't have time to blog more than once a week *even though I have PLENTY of  time to Tweet and Facebook and other distractionally things of course* and  although the housework (which is a four-letter word) NEVER gets done anyway, time still seems to be slipping through my ever-ageing fingers.  Nice image.  Wrinkly, papery old lady fingers and... as usual I am digressing.

Anyway... nice stuff  happened this week:
Even though I felt crappy - maybe even because I felt crappy on Tuesday, I started subbing 'Grounded', and...
(apart from the lovely telephone call from Ann Agent, which I don't want to reveal too much about in case it *jinxes* anything.  Not that I'm superstitious or owt.. never have been, touch-wood) I  received a total of 11 requests for sample chapters.  Of course some have already got back saying 'not for us' but still, a  request is a request - I must be doing something right, right?!

I was also told that I'd been chosen by the Chris Evans BBC2/Hay Festival organisers to help judge the entries for childrens (13 and under) 500 words short story competition, and my bundle of stories will be arriving this week... AND...

I had the pleasure of receiving and reading a new book by Sophie Page called 'To Marry a Prince' which was a lovely, light read and did what it said on the cover.  Then I was told I'd won two - yes TWO books... one of which is 'The Hating Game' by lovely writerly friend, Talli Roland - whose blog is FABULOUSO (as is she) and also a book given away BY Talli - such Karma! And winning a book is so thrilling even though it means my piles are getting bigger (of TBR's I mean).

And today, after the momumental kerfuffle in Specsavers with my newly (mis) prescribed varifocals - just don't ask.... I was  delighted to come home to a book sent by Publishers Choc Lit, - we do guest spots on Strictly Writing for some of their authors.  Only this one came with the added bonus of.... a bar of chocolate... (dark with ginger pieces - which,  next to dark with chilli, is my absolute favouritest although I don't know how they could possibly have known... Karma again).

BUT...the cherry on the cake  this week  HAS to be the 'quick e-mail' from Agent 1 (who is still deliberating on Double History) saying that she's started reading Grounded and said that my writing "as usual is like a breath of fresh air".... WHOOOOOOOP!


I can't tell you how many metres I soared on reading and re-and re- and re-reading that!


I have this rare feeling of things beginning to shift slightly and in a good direction... although knowing my luck it could just as easily be indigestion!

It's about time I gave myself a Damned Good Talking To

See that up there?  The blog-banner?  It clearly says "WRITING STUFF" doesn't it?  So why am I not doing what it says on the packet and just getting on with it?  I've given myself so many 'excuses/reasons' that I've actually NOW run out of them...

"I'm waiting for those Agents to get back to me" - what, so you're just going to sit about with your hands under your arse until one of them gives you the Nod are you?  And what if neither of them get back to you this side of June, what then?  Or what if they both get back to you and say 'NO' - are you just going to fling your arms up (from under the arse, obvs) and cave in or are you going to shift some butt RIGHT NOW and get on with your works-in-progress *snort* so that at least you actually HAVE something else to show them?

"It's too late.  I'm too old for all of this, I should have started taking it seriously aged 26 instead of getting drunk and partying at every opportunity" - You had your first story published at 18 and an invitation from a magazine to discuss future commissions at 20... you blew it, kid. But you also KNEW it back then too.  And actually what all that partying did was give you WAY more material to use for when you DID start taking it seriously.  Remember that time you hit a guy so hard at a night club you sent him flying down three flights of stairs and you got banned for three months?  THAT's what I'm talking about.  Now write it!

"There's no space for me out there in publishing land.  It's all been done before, by writers who have far more pizazz,  nouce and spunk than I'm ever likely to have"  Everyone has something different to say - maybe about the same thing but a different WAY of saying it, telling it.  You're right, you're no different or more special than any of the other published writers Out There, but there's no other Debs Riccio that I can see (or Google) so why shouldn't there be a space?  Isn't there space enough for everybody who has something to say?

"The stairs need hoovering, the family need feeding and there's beds to be made." Yeah, right.
 

"I don't believe in myself" That's more like it.  This is fine.  It's understandable.  It's scary, freaky and it's not exactly the simplest of ambitions to pursue and succeed in, is it? It means a lot of dedication, hard work and discipline.  Things that don't come easy to you - especially since God invented Facebook and Twitter and all other manner of distractions.  These are tests of your mettle. And the confidence thing is universal.  Show me an entertainer who doesn't doubt themselves at times and I'll show you a  bit of a Fibber.

"But the hoovering....." See above, girl.   Now just get on with it, you're starting to bore me now.

How (not) to write a book

1. Click on 'Favourites' and then 'Bank Account' and try to work out how come you've spent nearly a hundred quid in Sainsbury's since you last went, which was only two days ago. Surely there's baked beans and crap in the freezer you should be eating before replenishing your stocks? Didnt' you listen to ANYTHING your mother told you?!
And how come you seem to be spending more on Amazon books P&P than you would do if you actually drove your car into town, parked and bought the damned things from Waterstones?

2. Click on 'Favourites' and then 'Facebook' and realise you have less of a life than that Donna girl in Cheam who's always playing *Bedraggled* or whatever the hell it's called. And how come Neil in Croydon, who's Janice's ex's best mate's cousin from Northampton is friends with Pauline from Surrey and more to the point how come you know more about your daughter's life from her wall-to-wall with her mates than you do by actually speaking to her.  Face-to-Face.  Like.

3.  Click on 'Favourites' followed by 'Twitter'  and watch threads of people having 140-character-long (or less) snappy, conversations with each other and 4 or 5 other 'others' and wonder how come their lives seem so jolly and bright and fun compared with yours, and how come even though you *think* you've got a great retort, that the minute you've typed it into the 'reply' box, checked for typos, grammar, punctuation and entertainment value, somebody else has beaten you to it or they're now talking... sorry, *Tweeting* about something completely different.

4.  Make tea.
And,
5....  oh go on then, help yourself to a slice of cake as well.  You deserve it after the exhaustion of trying to keep up with the Twitter threads.

6. Click on 'Documents' followed by 'ideas' and then wonder how, at 1,500 words you ever thought there was *truly* a book in that hair-brained lunacy of an opener.  Seriously, if you stuff too much into the chicken's neck too soon, isn't it all going to end up coming out of it's arse?

7. Open another file in the 'ideas' folder and marvel at the humour, intellect and biting social satire of the words that you now sit back, arms folded in smug repose, reading.  My God, but you were on FIRE when you wrote that - so where's it going?  How's it going to unfold?  Where's the spark gone?  Write another sentence.

8.  Delete it.

9.  Undo delete.

10. Repeat until there's a small bald area of scalp on your head and you have no fingernails.

11. Repeat 4.

12. In fact, just repeat.

13. Until you have absolutely no idea what made you think you could ever write anything worth reading - EVER.  (apart from that document in 'ideas' that you're masochistically drawn to time and time again).

AAAArrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

p.s. d'you think this is what's commonly termed "Writer's Block"?
p.p.s. Roll on 1st November and the Na-No-Wri-Mo-Lax!

Anyone for NaNoWriMo ?

It seems that news of this exercise of mammoth literary proportions gets earlier and earlier every year (maybe it's just me, maybe it's the 'circles' I mix in these days - thanks to the beautiful and talented Suz Korb for pointing this out to me on her equally beautiful blog, 'Bang out the Prose', btw) and I've just signed up for it.

The NaNoNoticeBoard

Again.
Which makes this the fifth (I think) year that I'll be doing it.  Which also makes me a complete and utter Eejit because it runs for the whole of November - so, not only do we have the indisputably stress-filled Open Evening at our school that month, which  means I run around like a headless chicken with Anne Other until all we're capable of  is staple-gunning anything that moves to the walls,  but I've also volunteered myself to long-list the Strictly Writing short story entries for that month too.  [Aside: 'hmmmm... no wonder that particular slot was available... didn't see that one coming, did I'?].

But I like a challenge.  No, I do.  I just don't like to invite challenge.

I also like a nice lie in and for life not to be too overly stressful.  Of course I like a nice cup of tea too.  But this will be fine.  It will all be fine.  And I've learnt from experience that I will do it and get through it.

One way or the other.

 p.s. if you click to embiggen on the pic above, you'll see that last year I DID get through it, and there's my "WINNER" certificate to prove I did.  All mounted and laminated and everything.  Oh, you can also see all the lovely cards and notes I have from people who mean the world to me, too.

Why Lisa is the Jewell in my crown

The first time I read Lisa Jewell's 'Vince and Joy' I felt like I'd come home.  Literally wrapped up in the arms of a book I knew I'd love - and would love me back - forever.  You know that feeling?  It doesn't happen often, but when it does it stays with you.  Since then it's the one book I've lent out to most other people and each time it' returns to me, it comes back feeling more and more loved.

Of course once I'd finished reading this, I had to get my hands on more.  And so followed 'Ralph's Party, 'One Hit Wonder,' ThirtyNothing', '31 Dream Street' 'A Friend of The Family' and 'The Truth about Melody Brown'. All special books, made more special by Lisa's perfectly simple craft(wo)manship of being able to transport a reader to an entirely different place for as long as they choose to stay there.

What I love most about Lisa's writing is the fact she doesn't over-complicate things.  Her characters are people.  Real people you'd meet every day out on the street, in offices, at bus stops, in Sainsbury's.  You just have to open your eyes and look beyond your own 'space' to see that they're all around.  All the time.  And by reading any one of Lisa's books, you get to spend some time with these real people and get to know, them, care about them and want to reach out and help them; rejoice in their happiness and pass them a tissue when they need one.  They make you feel a nicer person for having shared somebody else's life for a while.

My favourite character out of all of these books is the enduring Toby who lives at 31 Dream Street.  I wanted to adopt him, I loved him so much.  And yet, I already knew him - he seemed to be a part of almost every shy, gangly, misunderstood boy I'd ever known.  And I daresay I'll continue to come across the occasional Toby in my lifetime.

So I was delighted - as were a gazillion other die-hard Lisa Jewell fans - to hear that the sequel to Ralph's Party, 'After The Party' was being published in 2010.  This year!  In fact tomorrow!

 (Amazon says...) "In 'After the Party', it's eleven years since Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary first got together. They thought it would be for ever, that they'd found their happy ending. As everyone agreed, they were the perfect couple. Then two became four, a flat became a house. Romantic nights out became sleepless nights in. And they soon found that life wasn't quite so simple any more. But through it all Jem and Ralph still loved each other, of course they did. Now the unimaginable has happened..."

My copy is in the post, and I was thrilled when Lisa agreed to take time out of her incredibly busy schedule to write a Guest Post for Strictly Writing - where you can read all about how she came to write the sequel and more.  

Of course every positive comes with a negative and the bad part about Lisa's books is that they have a last page.  Yup - every one - I know, I checked.  But they're the eternal friends on the bookshelf who'll never let you down and always be there when you need them.

Strictly Writing Award!

Well folks, the suspense is finally over and we at Strictly Writing are very proud to announce the first Strictly Writing Award!
The competition is open to anyone with a story to tell, funny, sad, serious or light-hearted - come one, come all!  And with a cash prize of £300 and no entry fee, it's just about the best thing the Easter Bunny could bring!
The limit is 2000 words and to be in with a chance of winning, go to the Strictly Writing site and read all the rules and stuff.
It's exciting!

A Pretty Good Week

It can be a rare old thing, a Pretty Good Week - especially in these lean old Gordon Brown Times.  So I am thoroughly heartened if not a leeetle bit thrilled-to-pant-wetting proportions to announce that 'THIS IS A PRETTY DAMN GOOD WEEK' and it ain't over yet!
Shall I spill?
Okay then.
 I have a lovely friend called Fionnuala who I met on the writing website, WriteWords about 5 years ago.  And apart from being incredibly clever with words and very lovely with her time and an altogether Good Egg, she is also a resident writer at another writing site called Strictly Writing  which I've been following and commenting on for ages.  And this week she e-mailed me to ask me if I'd like to join the Team - of resident Writers!  WRITERS! D'you see what that makes me, people?  A Writer.  A. Writer. And because of this (and the other Pretty Good thing, which follows shortly) I have felt more a Proper Writer this week than I have in my entire life.
I could burst with pride at the nice folks on Strictly inviting me to become a part of their wonderful world.  Seriously - burst at the seams.  Yup, all of 'em.

And the Other Thing?
Well, this afternoon I was e-mailed by the very nice Agent person who is currently reading the full manuscript of "Double History" (have I mentioned this is coming to a bookshop near you soon?  I have?  Well, I'm even more convinced of it now) because he said they're still really enjoying reading the book and where am I based?  Where am I based? WHERE AM I BASED!
Of course I could have told him the truth and said I was jolly close to the rafters in the roof because of the Pretty Good Week I'm having and his mail was the Royal Icing ( none of that water and icing sugar nonsense for a situation like this) on my already damn near perfect cake - but I didn't. I stuck to the geographical description and said I was very glad that he was still liking my baby.  I mean my book.
So, all in all.  A pretty Good Week I'd say.
And I don't say that very often.
At the risk of sounding like a Muppet collecting a slightly previous globe or equivalent, I'd like to thank Keris Stainton, my bestest writerly friend who, over the course of the last 5 years has become more like my younger sister who slaps me occasionally and virtually when I feel like giving up.  And who helped me shape the opening chapters into the exciting frenzy the Agent has clearly already read and enjoyed.
Also, the Overseer of the Cosmic Order I put in about two weeks ago to which I was guided by another lovely writer friend, Deborah Durbin and also to the sender of the Notes from the Universe which keep my head above water and even manage sometimes to make me *squeep* with delight.
I've never been *Here* before and I like it.

This is what I feel like doing!