A Novel Is Announced

Anyone who has read part 3 of my Business of Writing series, Improving Effectiveness, or indeed read Terry Tyler's Z Files last week where I exposed my inner Virgo, knows that I set great store by planning. In fact, it is sometimes suggested I would get more done by spending less time writing plans and just doing things instead.

Read, Reflect, Review...

You know how sometimes a topic seems to crop up in lots of different places at the same time? Well for the past few days, everywhere I turn, I bump into conversations about book reviews.

No Place For Bystanders

Anyone who's read any of my books on business skills for writers, or sat in one of my workshops at Swanwick, knows I am a strong devotee of the spreadsheet. Great for setting up simple accounts systems, wonderful for a quick and easy to-do list, and invaluable for planning the latest writing project. Well, this week, I've been using it for viewing and weeding out unnecessary characters in my novel.

Looking Back Thankfully

It's hard to believe, but there are only two Mondays left to this year. Next week, I'm going to be looking forward to 2015 and making some New Year's (writing) resolutions. But this week, in the tradition of many media outlets at this time of the year, here's a quick round-up of the past twelve and its achievements - and a few thank yous.

Publishing Lessons Part 2

Back in October, I wrote about the first part of the publishing project for Gorgito’s Ice Rink. At that point, I’d only brought out the ebook. Now, two months on, I have a paperback edition as well. I’ve been reflecting on the second part of this project, and as always, this is written from the point of view of a small business owner—with the adjective attached to ‘business’ rather than ‘owner’—rather than as an author. 

Gorgito's Ice Rink: Prologue

Moscow, 2005 

Emma Chambers slipped between the oak doors into the hushed interior. The air, thick with incense, grabbed at her throat and threatened to bring back the tears she'd been fighting all morning.

Making it Bigger and Better

"Don't be in too much of a rush to send your work out there. Make sure it's ready first." Like every debut novelist, I've heard that advice many times.

Well, I've been writing Gorgito's Ice-Rink for seven years now. That's hardly a rush, is it? I completed the first draft last autumn and finished redrafting/editing in January. Surely that was enough; it had to be ready, didn't it?

So I started sending it out to agents. I've had a handful of rejections accompanied by polite, encouraging notes - one of which was even hand-written - and a few submissions that were met with total silence.

 

I'll take that as a 'no', shall I?

 

In June, I attended the Winchester Writers' Conference, which gave me the opportunity for six one-to-one meetings with agents and authors. These were all pleasant experiences (despite some of the horror stories I'd heard from previous attendees) with some very useful feedback, which can be summed up in the words of one agent: my novel is competent but not outstanding! And to be noticed in today's crowded marketplace, outstanding is the new OK.

 

As some of you may have noticed from the barrage of postings last week, I've just returned from the Swanwick Writers' Summer School. It was another great week, my seventh and their 65th. One of the sessions was Edit Your Manuscript by Literary Agent Meg Davis. She talked about the first draft and the second draft. Right, I thought, now we'll hear about the submissions process. But not at all. Meg went on the talk about drafts three and four - by which time the work should be in a good enough shape to go to beta-readers or agents - and then further drafts after that.

 

Meg gave us questions to ask ourselves: how can I make this bigger and better? does every scene drive the plot forward? is every character needed? does the plot work?

 

So, the conclusion from all this advice and my reflection on it: I'm going back to the drawing board (or should that be the keyboard) to get rewriting. It's got to be bigger and better before it can be outstanding!

 

***

 

In last Thursday's posting, I mentioned starting a piece of prose based on sailing vessels, locations and senses. It grew from a memory of visiting the lovely little island of Kea, just off the Greek coast near Athens. Here' s the piece in its finished form:

 

 

Leaving Kea

 

Everything is grey as we leave the harbour, seen on our way by two taxi drivers, one taverna owner who couldn't sleep - and a lame cat. The cemetery chapel on the hillside is drained of life and the flowers are monochrome. Even on the top deck, we are enveloped in diesel fumes and we lean out over the rails, longing to smell the sea.

 

It's the clouds we notice first, just a tinge of pink. Then, on the horizon, a golden slit appears; the clouds turn deep rose against a slowly blueing sky.

 

The slit becomes a crescent, then a globe, that stings our eyes until we blink away the tears. The light embraces the island, flooding it with colour. The flowers in the graveyard turn orange, mauve and scarlet; the chapel sparkles snow-like against the sun.

 

And on the breeze, we catch a hint of thyme.  



The Next Big Thing: My Work in Progress

Last week, friend and fellow writer Madalyn Morgan tagged me in her post 'The Next Big Thing'. Click on Maddie's article to read about her second novel Applause. This week, it's my turn to answer questions about my current work in progress, so here goes:

What is the working title of your book?

Gorgito’s Ice-Rink

Where did the idea for the book come from?

I’ve been travelling to Russia and the former Soviet Union countries since the early 1990s. I wanted to write about my experiences, but found I can write fiction more effectively than memoir. Gorgito is based on someone I used to work with in Russia.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s essentially a quest novel but with an undercurrent of romance as well.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie of your book?

(Assuming that we’re looking at all actors, rather than ones who are the right age today) Gorgito would be played by Anthony Quinn (I see him as a sort of Russian Zorba); Emma would be played by Kate Winslet (playing her proper but ballsy); Yulia would be played by Jessica Ennis (whom I need to persuade to change careers); and Viktor would be played by Robert De Niro.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

A Georgian businessman struggles with bureaucracy, corruption and the weather in his attempt to build an Olympic-standard ice-rink, in order to bring home a young Russian skater who has gone to America to train — and in so doing, to make up for a promise he was unable to keep many years ago.

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

I will be seeking agency representation, but otherwise, I will publish via Chudleigh Phoenix Publications, where I currently publish my short story anthologies.

What other books would you compare the story to in your genre?

One obvious comparison would be with A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian as I am aiming for the same light humour that Marina Lewycka achieves; but in terms of the quest, it is similar to Salmon Fishing in the Yemen in which Paul Torday shows different characters gradually being won over to the seemingly impossible dream.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript
I started writing it in 2006. I finished the main storyline this summer. I am currently writing two sections of back-story which involves a lot of research into 19960s Soviet Russia. I plan to be finished by the end of this year.

Who or what inspired you to write this book

I made some wonderful friends and had some great experiences in Russia. I wanted to make sure they weren't lost.

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

It opens with a brief prologue set at Gorgito’s funeral in 2005, but chapter 1 then goes back to 1995. The reader knows from the start that the title character is going to die, but needs to read on to find out when, where, how — and whether he achieves his goal or not.

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My final task is to tag the writers who will take on this set of questions next Wednesday. My list is still being assembled and will grow over the next few days. For now, I present to you:

Tina Burton (who doesn't have her own blog, but will be guesting on here next week).


Maria Smith: http://www.firstdraftcafe.blogspot.co.uk/