Sequel? What Sequel?

Someone who came to the launch of My Writer and bought a copy for the young son of a friend of hers (whom I have never met), came into the Day Job yesterday with a message from the young son.  Jilly - when is the sequel coming out?  Sequel?  What sequel would that be then?  Talk about lighting the way through the endless Blank Page dunes of Writersblocksville!  Suddenly a whole new bunch of possibilities came to me.  Yeah - why not?  A professional editor who read the book in my trying-to-seek-a-publisher-or-agent phase came back to me with two very important points.  The first point she made was "I love the twist - this book will be published".  The next was the suggestion that I take the Creative Writing Academy thread in the book and build a whole series from there - looking at a different character and using a different genre for each consecutive story, whilst keeping the original characters in the background.  Thinking about this, I came up with ideas for maybe six  sequels - possibly even more!  But in order to make that work I need to find an agent, or indeed a publisher, who is prepared to take a leap of faith with my writing.  I very much doubt I could afford to fund them all myself.  So we shall have to see.  At least the feedback I am getting is positive!  Bit like me really.

Yesterday I physically took a copy of My Writer into Waterstones and left it, along with my About The Author sheet, with the manager there, who came out of her lunch break to speak to this persistent unknown local author who has been blighting her life for the past couple of months.  She has promised we will get together again the week after next after her holiday to look at the possibilities.  So fingers crossed.

You see - never ever give up!  Catch you later.

Achey Breaky Heart ...

I have a confession to make.  I am stuck in a writing-less desert and all I can see for miles around, instead of sandy dunes, is blank page after blank page as far as the eye can see.  Yes.  I have Writer's Block.  The problem isn't that I don't have any ideas.  The problem is that I have too many and I am struggling to find one I can commit to without deviating and trying another - thus dooming both.  I know what you are thinking.  You are thinking she can't have Writer's Block that bad if she is doing a blog-post!  And you're absolutely right.  Blog posts, random jottings, haiku and diary I can write, no probs.   Anything else?  Forget it!

When I was a Creative Writing tutor, students often came to me complaining of Writer's Block.  It is true it is an affliction that affects most writers at some point in their lives.  I used to say that there are two ways forward - one is to just give yourself a complete break for a couple of weeks.  The other is to fish out something old and breathe fresh life into it; bring it into the here and now.  The main thing is not to fret over it as that will inevitably make things worse.

So my question to you is this - why don't I heed my own advice?

I am going away for Easter with my Steve.  We are heading off to Yorkshire for the long weekend and I can hardly wait.  I am hoping it will recharge my batteries (I always find the Yorkshire Moors and Dales inspiring) and give me a little break.  Things have been incredibly intense since My Writer was published and then launched so maybe - just maybe - I have burned myself out a little?  I am also finding it terribly frustrating getting Waterstones to take me seriously; although the Croydon branch - bless their literary hearts - has suggested I contact them in June as the branch is currently being refurbished and their events diary is taking a back seat till it is all finished.  So I will.  Of course I will.  The others I shall just keep emailing until they get sick of seeing my name!  I took My Writer seriously, my husband took it seriously, everyone who attended the launch took it seriously and everyone who has thus far bought a copy have also taken it seriously.

Perhaps then it is merely a matter of time?  Maybe we should all take a little hiatus over Easter?

Let's Get More Kids Writing ...

I wish you could have been at my book launch last Saturday!  It came hot on the heels of a hugely successful Young Writer session which saw FOURTEEN children turn up!  We practically took the Library over!  Or so it seemed as I went hunting for more and more chairs in order to accommodate everyone!  With all this interest there is but definitely a gap in the market somewhere for Young Writers!  I want to get more kids writing.  Writing is the best thing in the world.  Writing preserves old worlds and creates new ones.  It is an opportunity to express oneself.  It is the opportunity to entertain, to share, to inspire.  And writing out of school is so different to writing in it!  I am so lucky to have been inspired and encouraged by a writer I knew as a child who just happened to be my favourite teacher at school.  I want to get the word out there.  I want kids to want to write!

As for the book launch itself - well - it was totally amazing!  I had a lot of people turn up and I sold a lot of books and donated two to the Library.  I am now pestering Waterstones to let me do some signings.  They are being a little slow off the mark - this is the second time I have had to contact them.  But I know they'll pick it up because they support local writers.  I just have to pester pester pester!

Cannot wait now to get out there and do more craft fairs, more signings.  Let kids (and grown-ups) read My Writer.  The magic is in the words!

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Things are going absolutely swimmingly re: the book launch!  I have made bookmarks to give away.  I have sent out invitations.  I have heard the book is already being re-sold on Amazon.  This is great!  I have been tweeting about it, mentioned it on Linked In , have an incredibly clever nephew who is going to set up a Facebook page - and just about all my Young Writers are going to come along, too! So don't forget - My Writer  is now on sale!  Let's get more kids Writing!

So what else?  Oh yeah - I am working on some new ideas but this time I will  get picked up by an Agent!  I am going to go through my Children's W & A Yearbook like a trojan!  Someone somewhere will suddenly realise what I have to offer in the way of writing.  And I haven't forgotten about The Epic or the Yucketypoo books.

Boy - I am so fired up today!

See you on the 21st!

Ready Steady Go ...

Last Thursday I took delivery of 100 beautful copies of My Writer, all pristine and untouched by human hand.  They look amazing and I still can't quite believe I have actually done it!  And quite a few people are coming along to the launch on the 21st, so it will be good for the library as well - another reason to prove how vital they are to the community so STOP CLOSING THEM DOWN!!

Had a great session with my talented scribblers on 21st February.  Thirteen came along and it is so good to note how we seem to average between nine and twelve most sessions.  Can you believe it is almost a year since the group was re-launched?  How did that happen?  Did I blink or something? All joking aside though, I am absolutely thrilled by the fact that not only did Addiscombe Young Writers survive its first major setback in October 2013, it continues in 2015, to grow and thrive and gather momentum  - and I have heard of a couple of similar groups possibly being set up in other parts of the country which is truly awesome!  Making  Creative Writing as cool as the Arts and Sports is precisely why I started the group in the first place.  All children are born writers.  Nothing quite matches their innocence, their imagination and their belief which is exactly why their skills should be nurtured and honed from as early as possible.  

So how are you guys anyway?  Hope you are still Writing away and preparing for success and a sense of achievement!  I have been working my way through The Epic of late (remember that?  Go back a couple of years and you'll find a blow by blow account right here in this very blog!).  I don't know why.  I just picked it up the other day and began to read.  and I read,  And read.  And read.  And I have come to the conclusion it is FAR TOO GOOD to waste.  And if I think that - normally my own worst critic - then I happen to believe others will too.  Hey ... keep an eye out.  I might even put a bit of it in my next Post ...

BOOK LAUNCH IMMINENT!!!

Within two weeks I should have my initial stock of 100 copies of My Writer right here in my study!  So on 21st March I am going to hold the official launch at the local library straight after the Young Writers session!  Now I need to publicise it as much as possible and am busily designing fliers, posters and invitations!  All very exciting.  In fact it is so exciting that, once the launch is over I will be at a complete loss!  Obviously need to maintain the momentum so I will be arranging some signings as well - lots of letters to write and emails to send.  Talk about learning curve!   Not sure I have it in me to self-publish at this level again.  Probably be easier if I didn't have a Day Job taking up so much of my time.  As it is I am doing everything during my free time and there just ain't enough hours in the day!  Not that I am complaining - it was my project and I have achieved a dream and - it must be said-  I simply couldn't  have got this far with it if it wasn't for my Steve!  I know how fortunate and lucky I am to have such a supportive husband whose belief in my writing endeavours knows no bounds!  So get your diaries out.  If Croydon is not too difficult to get to, come along to Ashburton Library, Shirley Road, Croydon, Surrey on 21st March between 11 and 12 for The Big Launch.  Be good to meet you!

So what has been going on since my op?  Well - went back to work last Monday.  Nearly killed me.  I hit this brick wall around 2 in the afternoon and got through the next three hours on auto-pilot, I was so tired.  It did get easier as the week went by though and by Thursday it was as if I'd never been away.  And on Friday I got my All Clear letter from the hospital.  Massive relief!  Yesterday - Valentine's Day of course, Steve and I head down to Southend on Sea to take buy birthday presents for grandsons who turned 8 and 7 within a day of each other.  And for a sneaky snuggle with their baby brother of course who is absolutely thriving and has started to smile.

Visited Mum today.  She seemed in quite good spirits - she just looks so little and helpless.  But she still has a wicked sense of humour I can tell you!  Made me roar with laughter a couple of times.

So that is about it for now.  Will be back in a few days.

I'M ALIVE!!!!!

Had my little op on Tuesday.  Cried and slept most of Wednesday and yesterday began to feel so much better!  Went all day yesterday without the need for a single dose of painkillers!  And today - well - what can I say?  I have actually Been a Writer most of the morning, sending out the Press Release for My Writer, planning tomorrow's Young Writer session and bringing the admin up to date. I love Writer Days!  Despite the fact I am sitting at a desk tapping away at the laptop, just being an active writer gives me an Adrenalin rush like no other!  It is no use.  I need to win the lottery.  Not billions.  Just enough to either comfortably give up the day job or, at the very least, cut my hours so I can have one day a week when I can do things like this!!!!!

Did you get much snow?  We have hardly seen any and today it is totally gorgeous outside - all sunshiny and springy.  I know my window gazes out over trees and rooftops, but I still feel as inspired as I would if I had an Artists's Cottage up in beautiful Braemar for a few weeks!  Believe it or not I have actually already seen two trees covered in froths of pink blossom.  It's true.

My plans for this afternoon are to sidle onto my comfortable sofa and browse the 2015 Children's Writers and Artists Year book (thank you parents-in-law) because I want to find another publisher for the Yucketypoo books.  It was such an honour to be commissioned to write two more once I found a publisher - and such a bloody shame that everything then fell through before the third one could be published.  Especially since I have had stockists telling me they'd be happy to sell the whole trilogy - but not the individual books!  And the amount of people still asking me for their copy of the third one!  Shows me that these books have the potential to be timeless as our awareness of the environment continues to grow - especially the awareness of the children who will inherit this beautiful world of ours.

Anyway we shall see.  What's that?  11.06?  Must be coffee time!