When The Past Comes Knocking

This week, I've been struggling with my Muse, fighting just get some words down each night. My submissions are slow at the moment and I guess it's to be expected at this crazy time of year.
But just a day ago, I lovely piece of the past came knocking when I received a lovely email from a school friend of mine.

Years ago, I wrote a fanfiction for a paranormal series I love. Having finished the novel, I decided to send it off to a few friends. I hear a little feed back, but it was only until yesterday that I heard feedback on the whole story.

I'm going to say it was fate. I've been searching for a reader, someone who can give me an honest opinion from a readers perspective and not a writer's perspective. And yesterday, I found her.

Whilst my fanfiction is by far my most unedited and unrefined manuscript, my friend loved it. Not a reader of the genre herself, she was still intrigued by the story and unable to put it down. It was nice to hear the words of encouragement and it's given me the will to carry on and finish 'Fixing Fences' and continue submitting my Irish series.

I really do love writing and can't see myself giving up. But when times get dark, everyone has those thoughts. I guess we all need a little reminder of what we could achieve, a little encouragement and praise.

Well, I'm off to finish this novel. I my fellow writers out there are all doing the same.

The Next Big Thing!

Last week, I was tagged in a chain blog called The Next Big Thing by fellow writer, Charlotte Nash. :)
How it works is, I answer ten questions about my current WIP or release and then tag five other writers to do the same in the following week.
Well, here are my answers and the writers I've chosen to tell you about their novels are:
Jennie Jones, Carolyn Wren and AP Castell (who can all be found at The Romantic Muse Blog) and Ann B Harrison and Efthalia Pegios.

Well, now that the five have been announced, here are the questions:

What is the title of your current book?

Fixing Fences.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

There is a strong connection between myself and this novel. It's about a young woman who goes in search of herself when she decides to move away from the city and into the country, buying her grandmother's property in the process.

My grandparents on one side of the family, died before I was born and I guess in a way, I always struggled with not knowing them. Olivia goes through a similar situation, yet instead of finding a connection with her grandmother she finds herself.

Fixing Fences is about mending relationships both with others and yourself. And of course, it's about finding love and dependence.

What genre does your book fall under?

Rural Romance. It's a key feature and a connection between me and my heroine, Olivia.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Arg! That's a hard one. At the moment, I'm going for Mr Bond. And in a way, James Bond is a little like my main man.

As for my heroine... I have no idea. I have to admit, I'm not good with Hollywood names. :)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A young woman goes in search of herself in restoring her grandmothers house and in turn, finds herself and love in the arms of a man trouble by his past and the future.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

This novel is uncontracted, but I definitely would like to see it represented by an agency. Like many authors, I see this novel as 'The Next Big Thing'. So, of course, I want it to be represented by a company with a reputation for producing 'The Next Big Thing' and having them back me on it.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It took me two weeks to write the first 50k. It sounds crazy but at that point in time, I could do it. At the moment, I'm doing just over 1k a day. I hope to finish the first draft by New Years.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

There are so many influences. Rachael Treasure, Loretta Hill and Rachael John's have been my key influences at present but I'm constantly being inspired by other authors. I can't say if there are any novels similar to my as I would like to believe that there aren't any like mine. Only inspirations. :)

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

As I've previously said, my own experiences and dream, pair with the imagination inspired by the authors I love.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

I'd like to hope this will be a book that will really hit home with my future readers. I think family and your own individual identity are two important factors in being happy in your life. Of course, I'm a romantic and love it when people find love. But I'd like to think that this book will make people realize what really matters in their life and what kind of sacrafices they have to make to make their dreams come true.

 

 

 

Well, I hope you have enjoyed reading about Fixing Fences. Have a nice weekend everyone!

 

 

W

How Time Flies...

Wow. It's been a month since I last posted. A month! It hardly feels like it, but there it is.
It seems as always that the writing life really does work in an ebb-and-flow sort of fashion. Just last month, I managed 50k in just over two weeks. I was stoked! And still am about that.

Fooled, I expected that my muse would continue spewing out words but life really does catch up on you eventually. My studies have finally finished and Novemeber and Decemeber always seem to be a busy time of year. I've bare written a thing of late, but I tell myself that that is just the way it goes.

I've learnt something valuable this month. That deadlines and motivations really are a key factor in writing.
Some wonder how it is that some writers can spit out 3 - 5 books a year! I myself have come to wonder. And all I can put it down to is that they told themselves that they had no choice.
So, I've given myself a deadline. By New Years Eve, I am aiming to complete the first draft of my rural romance, Fixing Fences.

And just in case this isn't motivation enough for me, I've got a list to remind me of what I could be. I think it's important for writer's to have idols and aspirations. Every time I see a new author emerge (particularly a rural romance author) under the name of one of my favourite publishers, I'm given a goal. To get my story in front of those editors so that I can one day too share wonderful stories with the world.

Another thing I use is bookmarks. 'Bookmarks?' you might say? Yes. When I was at the RWA conference, I met some wonderful authors, many of who I had read their novels and loved. And I had them sign books and bookmarks for me. And much to my delight, many of them wrote messages which have spurred me on, encouraged me to continue on even when at times, I feel I'm stuck in hiatus.

Well, I hope to be blogging a lot more. I have a busy month ahead of me and goals to reach.

Happy reading!

W