The Journey Begins

I actually wrote Finding Gryffin and its many prequels and sequels beginning circa 1988. They were over a number of years. When I ran out of steam, I packed the manuscripts away and there they stayed.

Fast forward to this year, 2013. I applied for a pitch session with editors at the Romance Writers Australia Conference. I managed to win a spot with Alisa Krasnostein, director and publisher of Twelfth Planet Press.

When I received the good news, I followed all the hints and did some research. I found Twelfth Planet Press published horror stories (which I’m not into), and Science Fiction. So out from under the bed I dragged the box (Well it was in the stack beside the bed with another 4 boxes on top.) that I had packed them in.

When I looked at the body of work, I saw that there were actually 4 series contained within that body. They actually flowed from one to another. All four series feature my main heroine. Three of the series features her as the chief protagonist, and the first series focuses on her parents and her childhood.

So off I go to the Conference in Fremantle, WA, full of excitement and quietly shivering in my boots. You have a maximum of 7 minutes to find your editor, seat yourself, introduce yourself and run your spiel. When I pitched to Alisa Krasnostein, she liked the idea of the fourth series. Finding Gryffin (working Title) is the first of that series. She asked me to submit a manuscript – by November 1.

That’s when the shakes started, and Doubting Thomas made his appearance. All those others pitching before and after me would be chosen first. Alisa was just being kind. She said that to all of the quivering hopefuls. You know how it goes.

Off to lunch I went.

Another conference attendee shared my table for lunch. When I told her I had pitched was asked to submit she revealed the secret. 70 per cent do not carry forth with the pitch, i.e. they do not submit the manuscript.

Well that was good news. The pool had shrunk considerably. Of the possible 100 candidates pitching, (And it wasn’t that many. Time just did not allow it.) I was now up against 30 – if I dared to be one of them instead of one of the 70. Take into account that 1/3 would be horror and not science fiction, and other 1/3 would be rejected for one reason or another... Hey presto! My odds had narrowed to 1 in 10 – Hey that is even better.

So I came back from the conference all fired up and eager. I found the manuscript and quailed. 2 months to type and edit the manuscript into some shape.

With gritted teeth, I started typing. Four weeks to type, and four weeks to edit was the plan. I typed it in three weeks. Just as well it turned out to be a novella rather than one of my novels. Not that I realised it while I was typing.

Now begins the editing. 1 pass done. Now it is off to find an editor. And while she is doing that I may just start typing the next one – just in case.

Christmas is just around the corner. The goodies are out and the children are getting antsy. Now that begs the question.  For parents with children who have birthdays between now and the end of January, does this make it easier or harder to shop for them.

There is s much going on at this time of year. School concerts and outings; family get togethers; Christmas breakups and end of year parties; Halloween.

Halloween has never been a big event in the Australian way of life. It was an American thing. Aussies knew about it but it was just another day. My, times are a-changing! 

However, it does fall at a reasonably good time - event wise.  Most exams are over and done with or are just around the corner that a break from exam stresses is definitely needed. It can kick off the 'party season' most effectively.

Have you ever considered the history of Halloween? It is really interesting.

For all the non-writers the word Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows Evening or the night before All Hallows Day, which is November 1 (For Catholics November 1 is All Saints Day & November 2 is All Souls Day, if my Memory serves me correct) Hallows it self is an interesting word and in this case means Souls and Saints. Early Christians believed it to be the the night souls of ancestors and recently dead came to earth to warn the living against the wandering off the straight and narrow path of righteousness. 

Many consider it a pagan festival. Like many Christian festivals, it has its roots in pagan festivals. Give the very early Christian Fathers credit for using their intelligence and using the System to their benefit. 

However, the point of this little ramble is, what do I do when Halloween falls in the same week as a granddaughter's birthday which is 8 weeks before Christmas? Do parents ever get a break from putting their hand in their pocket?

Oh, life is so wonderful - particularly when you are busy.

I am involved in a small but great organisation.  I've been secretary of this little organisation for about 5 years now. No, I will not be secretary next year. (Well that is one New Year's Resolution made.)

This little organisation is a multi arts organisation. It supports visual artists, literary artists, and performing artists. Like all organisations it needs to raise revenues for its survival and to fulfil the reasons why it was formed. One of those ways is by organising events.

Ever had times like that? Where you get off one merry-go-round and straight onto the carousel? It has been a bit like that for me lately and looking ahead to the the rest of the year it isn't going to get much better. The merry-go-round may just slow down a tad but it won't stop.

And I planned! Honest. I sat down with my diary and penciled in and blocked out times for this, and days for that. However, some of that went by the board and I'm not sure how.

Perhaps if I started on next year's diary now I may be less stressed. So...How far should one plan in advance? We live in the instant age, when all is said and done. No one seems to plan but do everything on the spur of the moment. And yet the writing business demands we plan.

We plan marketing campaigns, professional development courses, writing schedules, plots and schemes. We plan writing time, family time, and me time.

Sadly, I have come to realise that planning, or lack thereof, is only a fraction of the problem. The biggest problem is actioning your plans and then sticking to your guns. To do that you need to develop elective hearing, sight and a very thick skin. Something I'm still learning to do.

Until next time.

I have just spent the best part of a fortnight, 3 reams of paper and 2 cartridges of ink on trying to free up space on my computer. Over the years I had collected many articles on writing skills that I did refer to but never really read. SO I printed them out and I am READING them. Yes Reading them - with highlighter and pencil in hand to make notes in the margins.

Interestingly enough, I just browsed an article that pointed out that if you want to read something and retain that information don't use an e-reader. Apparently we don't retain what we read on than e-reader. (I could have told 'em that years ago when I was studying at uni!).

Wonder if the trad publishers read the article? Wouldn't it be nice to think that they did and the traditional book really survived. Do you think they could USE the information as a marketing tool?

Oh by the way I managed to free up 3 gb on my hard drive and I am about a sixth of the way through. Then I will start on the videos.