Interview - Wayhay: following the announcement that Dell were shedding 1,900 jobs locally, I was contacted by a journalist who was doing an article on ex-Dell employees who had made a career change or done something with themselves after leaving. Having a book published this year clearly qualified so we had an interesting chat and I had the opportunity to talk about The Third Pig Detective Agency. Hopefully I'll be included in the finished article. Does this qualify as my first official interview. Probably!
Book Update: Final proofs were signed off earlier this week. Apart from gasoline being misspelt, I didn't see anything else odd so anything wrong that appears in the published book is now my fault. Oh the pressure.
The cover will be signed off tomorrow so I'll hopefully be able to reveal all (ooh er missus etc) here in the next few days.
The Friday Project have come up with some interesting ideas for marketing the book (which also ties in to their recent announcement). More to follow but a consequence is that publication has been put back to August - which is a bit disappointing.
Still looking for an agent!
Another Success: Justine Windsor (who was the winner of the 2007 YouWriteOn Children's Book of the Year) has been shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. You go Justine, we're rooting for you!
Me and My Sony: I like reading and I read a lot so I was delighted to get a Sony e-book reader from Santa (very nice of him when you consider what I'm doing to him in the latest Harry Pigg book, The Ho-Ho-Ho Mystery). Despite all the brouhaha about readers and the death of physical books, I don't see them as the enemy of books but as a complement to them. I'm using it a lot (40 books downloaded) but I'm still reading as many physical books. For someone who reads as much as I do, the reader is an absolute godsend. I'll give a full review in the next week. or so.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Monday, 12 January 2009
Books, Books, Glorious Books
I've been on a bit of a book binge over the Christmas. Current reading list includes:
Ritual by Mo Hayder (always worth a read)
Just After Sunset by Stephen King (short stories)
Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson (one of a very few decent fantasy writers)
The Bloomsday Dead by Adrain McKinty (comes highly recommended, we'll see how it goes)
Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (the master at work)
Stories Volume 1 by Ray Bradbury (most of his classic stories are there)
Flesh House by Stuart MacBride (third of the way in, good thriller)
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (e-book - sounds good)
Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks (e-book - I like the concept)
The Shattered Teacup by George Mann (free e-book from Snowbooks, I like steampunk!)
The two ebooks are ones I've looked at in bookshops over the years but never felt tempted enough to shell out for. WHSmith were having a boffo ebook sale recently so I got 'em both for less than £4 each. Considering the scandalous and unjustifiably high cost of current e-books this was a bargain indeed.
Lots of goodies there to dip into.
Ritual by Mo Hayder (always worth a read)
Just After Sunset by Stephen King (short stories)
Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson (one of a very few decent fantasy writers)
The Bloomsday Dead by Adrain McKinty (comes highly recommended, we'll see how it goes)
Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (the master at work)
Stories Volume 1 by Ray Bradbury (most of his classic stories are there)
Flesh House by Stuart MacBride (third of the way in, good thriller)
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (e-book - sounds good)
Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks (e-book - I like the concept)
The Shattered Teacup by George Mann (free e-book from Snowbooks, I like steampunk!)
The two ebooks are ones I've looked at in bookshops over the years but never felt tempted enough to shell out for. WHSmith were having a boffo ebook sale recently so I got 'em both for less than £4 each. Considering the scandalous and unjustifiably high cost of current e-books this was a bargain indeed.
Lots of goodies there to dip into.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
A Writer's Perspective on Editing
Darren Shan is a deservedly successful writer of horror fiction for younger readers and his blog always has interesting and useful insights into the writer's routine. A recent article about his editing process is worth a look.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Resources for Writers: How Publishing Really Works
Want to know what happens in the publishing industry? Check out Jane Smith's informative and very objective blog How Publishing Really Works. Not enough books and courses cover the technical aspects of what really happens behind the scenes once your ms has disappeared into the mailbox but this site has a wealth of information, written by someone who's been a researcher, editor and writer so can speak with some authority on the subject - and does so objectively and with a healthy degree of reality checking.
Some of the most recent recent posts have delved into the complexities of self-publishing (as a result of the recent YWO offer) and include analysis of how pricing of self-published novels works, an insight into how Waterstones deal with self-published and POD books as well as touching on marketing and promotion.
It doesn't always make for pleasant reading - but, then again, if you're talking about the realities of publishing then that's hardly a surprise.
If you've got the champagne on ice while waiting for the advance that you know your ms deserves to drop through the letterbox you could do a lot worse than read this blog and have your eyes opened. At least then when the form rejection arrives, you'll know why you got it.
Well worth checking out - and the links are good too!
Some of the most recent recent posts have delved into the complexities of self-publishing (as a result of the recent YWO offer) and include analysis of how pricing of self-published novels works, an insight into how Waterstones deal with self-published and POD books as well as touching on marketing and promotion.
It doesn't always make for pleasant reading - but, then again, if you're talking about the realities of publishing then that's hardly a surprise.
If you've got the champagne on ice while waiting for the advance that you know your ms deserves to drop through the letterbox you could do a lot worse than read this blog and have your eyes opened. At least then when the form rejection arrives, you'll know why you got it.
Well worth checking out - and the links are good too!
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Fantasy - now there's a thing
I just noticed that on my most recent "What I'm reading" list there were two fantasy novels. Not strange in itself but I'd given up on fantasy about 20 years ago, finding that - with very few exceptions - most of what was out there was derivative and predictable. I know I'm probably generalising to some (a large) extent but after devouring tome after tome in my teens and early twenties I suddenly became very dissatisfied with what I was reading and moved on to other things.
Over the years since, I'd dip into the genre occasionally but, with the notable exception of Stephen Donaldson, never got more than my toes wet...until recently.
On the recommendation of a friend whose opinion I respect, I began to read Steven Erikson and became totally immersed in his uncompromising, huge-in-scope-but-not-forgetting-the-characters Malazan Book of the Fallen series. His refusal to pander to the reader and explain everything as he went along but preferring to drop the him in the middle of the story and letting him swim for himself made a refreshing change. The stories are richly textured, well written and I have at least six more massive volumes to go. Yippeee!
The other fantasy novel I've just finished is the Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert Redick. I was intrigued by the book's setting - a gigantic ship - more than anything else and when I spotted a copy in my local library, I picked it up more in hope than expectation. Despite some predictable elements, the setting and pace of the novel kept me engaged all the way through to the (inevitable) "continued in Part 2" bit.
Maybe all is not yet lost in the fantasy world.
Trailers. Woot!
Geekness abounds. Not only do we get a new Watchmen trailer - with some effective use of Philip Glass music but the trailer for the new Star Trek movie is online too. As a Trek fan since the original series (first seen in glorious in black and white on RTE) I was unconvinced by the " how they all met" concept of the new movie; I just didn't think it'd work. Attaching JJ Abrams to the project made me think it might just work after all and now the trailer gives more grounds for optimism - and isn't Heroes Zachary Quinto scarily like Leonard Nimoy (who I believe will make a cameo in the movie).
Roll on 2009.
Roll on 2009.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
A View From the Inside
Eoin Purcell's blog is never less than interesting but his latest entry gives some useful insight into what aspiring authors should be looking at when submitting to publishers. Some good points - although the one about the picture is a bit surprising!
Monday, 27 October 2008
Resources for Writers: Absolute Write
The Absolute Write Water Cooler is a huge moderated forum that covers all aspects of writing. Of particular interest is the Bewares and Background Check section. Here members can ask about agents and publishers and get feedback from other forum members on their experiences with them (good and bad). This feedback is generally open and honest and reflects the real world position. If you need information on a specific agency - or agents within an agency - here's the place to come.
In addition, most of the big scam agencies are identified so newbies can find out who to avoid when sending out submissions.
As a US site there is an understandably US bias to most of the entries but most of the big UK agencies/publishers are covered as well.
Highly recommended for those starting out on the submissions trail.
In addition, most of the big scam agencies are identified so newbies can find out who to avoid when sending out submissions.
As a US site there is an understandably US bias to most of the entries but most of the big UK agencies/publishers are covered as well.
Highly recommended for those starting out on the submissions trail.
Monday, 13 October 2008
Resources for Writers: YouWriteOn
One of the things I missed when I started writing was objective feedback. As I worked full time and any writers' groups I knew of met during the day, any opinion on what I was doing and whether it had any worth was difficult to come by.
I was muchly relieved therefore to discover the online writers group YouWriteOn a few years back. Set up by Edward Smith - with some Arts Council funding - to help budding writers, YWO not only provided feedback but the top-rated titles each month were then passed on to industry professionals (editors, writers etc) for a more comprehensive critique.
The process was simple, you reviewed other writers work (which was assigned to you by the system so as to avoid any favouritism). Each review you provided gave you a credit which you could then assign to your own work thus making it available for critique also. Work was assessed in eight categories, each with a rating of 1 to 5. A daily chart showed the top-ranking titles and these were sent to a number of industry professionals each month and made available to a number of agents that were affiliated to the site.
As with all sites of this nature, some of the reviews tended to be perfunctory or lacking in objective or valuable content but, for the most part, most of the reviews identified what was good and bad about the work under review and presented comprehensive feedback - which was invaluable from my perspective as I had nothing else to go on when I joined the site.
As a result of my association with the site I not only received a positive critique from Michael Legat (a publishing industry eminence grise) but ended up having The Third Pig Detective Agency placed third in the site's 2007 Children's Book of the Year.
Looking back, the critiques I received helped me make my opening chapters so much better but, more importantly, the exposure I received from being on the site opened industry doors that wouldn't have been possible had I had to do it on my own.
Other writers from the site have made breakthroughs also, most notably Doug Jackson whose historical novel Caligula was acquired by Transworld and published earlier this year.
YWO has recently branched into POD in association with Legend Press and are offering to print 5,000 writers free of charge. Understandably this has provoked quite a reaction in the industry (both positive and negative) and it will be interesting to see the outcome of this particluar project and its impact on YWO as a whole.
In terms of what it offers to any budding writer, I'd recommend YWO wholeheartedly as it provides a resource for objective feedback that might not be otherwise available as well as fostering a strong writer's community.
Check it out.
I was muchly relieved therefore to discover the online writers group YouWriteOn a few years back. Set up by Edward Smith - with some Arts Council funding - to help budding writers, YWO not only provided feedback but the top-rated titles each month were then passed on to industry professionals (editors, writers etc) for a more comprehensive critique.
The process was simple, you reviewed other writers work (which was assigned to you by the system so as to avoid any favouritism). Each review you provided gave you a credit which you could then assign to your own work thus making it available for critique also. Work was assessed in eight categories, each with a rating of 1 to 5. A daily chart showed the top-ranking titles and these were sent to a number of industry professionals each month and made available to a number of agents that were affiliated to the site.
As with all sites of this nature, some of the reviews tended to be perfunctory or lacking in objective or valuable content but, for the most part, most of the reviews identified what was good and bad about the work under review and presented comprehensive feedback - which was invaluable from my perspective as I had nothing else to go on when I joined the site.
As a result of my association with the site I not only received a positive critique from Michael Legat (a publishing industry eminence grise) but ended up having The Third Pig Detective Agency placed third in the site's 2007 Children's Book of the Year.
Looking back, the critiques I received helped me make my opening chapters so much better but, more importantly, the exposure I received from being on the site opened industry doors that wouldn't have been possible had I had to do it on my own.
Other writers from the site have made breakthroughs also, most notably Doug Jackson whose historical novel Caligula was acquired by Transworld and published earlier this year.
YWO has recently branched into POD in association with Legend Press and are offering to print 5,000 writers free of charge. Understandably this has provoked quite a reaction in the industry (both positive and negative) and it will be interesting to see the outcome of this particluar project and its impact on YWO as a whole.
In terms of what it offers to any budding writer, I'd recommend YWO wholeheartedly as it provides a resource for objective feedback that might not be otherwise available as well as fostering a strong writer's community.
Check it out.
Friday, 26 September 2008
The End
One of the great pleasures of being a writer (whether amateur, professional, unpublished or whatever) is being able to write The End when your story is finally complete. It may only be a first draft, will probably require rewrites and edits but the first part of the journey is finished.
I've just written The End on part 3 of my werewolf trilogy and it feels great. I've wrestled with the last fifty or so pages for weeks, trying to get them right and I finally managed it earlier this afternooon.
Am I chuffed with myself? You can sing it. The whole thing runs to about 150k words but that last 5,000 was tough. I knew what I wanted to say, I just couldn't get it right for days on end.
Even though I know I'll have to go through the whole process again sometime in the future when I start the rewrite, it still can't detract from the feeling of satisfaction that those two words give.
Methinks a celebratory meal and drink is in order later.
Go me!
I've just written The End on part 3 of my werewolf trilogy and it feels great. I've wrestled with the last fifty or so pages for weeks, trying to get them right and I finally managed it earlier this afternooon.
Am I chuffed with myself? You can sing it. The whole thing runs to about 150k words but that last 5,000 was tough. I knew what I wanted to say, I just couldn't get it right for days on end.
Even though I know I'll have to go through the whole process again sometime in the future when I start the rewrite, it still can't detract from the feeling of satisfaction that those two words give.
Methinks a celebratory meal and drink is in order later.
Go me!
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
If Kids made the Reading Rules
As part of the Children's Books Festival 2008, Children's Books Ireland got together with Trim Library Book Club to design a poster outlining what would happen if kids made the reading rules. The result is a funny, accurate and very pertinent set of guidelines including advice for parents: If we are reading don't stop us for bed and publishers: Encourage new writers and Don't give away the entire story with the blurb.
I particularly liked the advice for writers, below:
I particularly liked the advice for writers, below:
Monday, 22 September 2008
Not Letting the Grass Grow
As I've discovered, there's lots (and lots and lots) of waiting in the publishing game, especially for a newbie like me. So rather than sit and wait (and wait and wait), I figured that the best thing to do was to write another book - or books as it turned out.
As I've been a huge fan of horror since I was a wee lad (a love I seem to have inherited from my mother), I thought I'd do something completely different from The Third Pig and have a lash at a horror story.
Some 120,000 or so words later I'm just wrapping up the last chapter of a trilogy about werewolves. Although vampires always seemed to be the most popular choice when it came to horror fiction, I've always loved a good werewolf story and always wanted to write my own.
Now its more or less complete apart from rewrites of the latter parts, and Vol 1 is currently being considered by an agent so it'll be interesting to see what happens with it (if anything).
So when's the next full moon then?
As I've been a huge fan of horror since I was a wee lad (a love I seem to have inherited from my mother), I thought I'd do something completely different from The Third Pig and have a lash at a horror story.
Some 120,000 or so words later I'm just wrapping up the last chapter of a trilogy about werewolves. Although vampires always seemed to be the most popular choice when it came to horror fiction, I've always loved a good werewolf story and always wanted to write my own.
Now its more or less complete apart from rewrites of the latter parts, and Vol 1 is currently being considered by an agent so it'll be interesting to see what happens with it (if anything).
So when's the next full moon then?
Friday, 19 September 2008
It's Like Waiting for a Bus
...nothing happens for weeks on end and then suddenly there's a rush of activity.
Blurbing Away: Firstly I had to come up with a blurb for TPDA. How do you compress a plot into a few hundred words, keep it in the style of the book and still give nothing away? It was an interesting exercise. I decided not to go with the standard blurb format but do it as a telephone conversation between Harry and a potential client (one Mrs. B. Peep). The publisher seemed to like the draft and only made a few minor amendments - and added one good gag I wish I'd thought of!
Hopefully it will grace the back cover of the book.
The Deal's the Thing: Hot on its heels came some talk about a deal for two more Harry Pigg novels - which took me a bit by surprise (ok, it took me a lot by surprise but I'm trying to play it cool here). I'm quite excited by this but, until I get something definite, am still grounding myself in reality.
More on this late breaking develoment as we get it.
Blurbing Away: Firstly I had to come up with a blurb for TPDA. How do you compress a plot into a few hundred words, keep it in the style of the book and still give nothing away? It was an interesting exercise. I decided not to go with the standard blurb format but do it as a telephone conversation between Harry and a potential client (one Mrs. B. Peep). The publisher seemed to like the draft and only made a few minor amendments - and added one good gag I wish I'd thought of!
Hopefully it will grace the back cover of the book.
The Deal's the Thing: Hot on its heels came some talk about a deal for two more Harry Pigg novels - which took me a bit by surprise (ok, it took me a lot by surprise but I'm trying to play it cool here). I'm quite excited by this but, until I get something definite, am still grounding myself in reality.
More on this late breaking develoment as we get it.
Monday, 15 September 2008
Music to Write To 1
Actually it's music to write to, to drive to, to eat to, to anything to. A stunningly beautiful piece of music from a truly outstanding band. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Glosoli by Sigur Ros. Sure, they're not immediately accessible but this is a grower...listen with open ears. And the video is a cut above the average too!
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