Update

I haven't posted anything for ages but here is the latest. My debut novel, Judith wants to be your friend,  will be a real paperback from 15th December. It  is available for pre-order from Amazon. Yay. So excited. I will soon have an author website and will blog from there. Before then, please check out (and like) my Facebook page www.facebook.com/JudithWantsToBeYourFriend  Thank you.

People who are helping me - update

Yesterday I spent a happy hour recording Ali Turnbull of Fit to Print. She was a joy to interview. She had done some preparation and spoke joyfully and fluently about FOUR new things she has done since turning 58, and one she still plans to do. A lovely and truly inspirational woman.

This afternoon I spent a happy two hours being photographed by Patrick Neaves. I am the worst subject. I am self-conscious and generally hate having my photo taken. He really put me at ease and I am so pleased to say that his patience paid off and he will soon send me some great photos that I can use for publicity, website and social media.

Thanks to both.

Not too late at 58

Other people I am getting help from:

• the lovely Rebecca Watson of Watson Design who is going to design the cover. I have tried to give her a precise brief to work on so I'm looking forward to what she comes up with. Check out her website to see some of her work www.rebeccawatsondesign.co.uk
• the lovely Patrick Neaves, a former student of mine, who is going to take a really really really really good photo of me - that will test his skills!

Thanks to both - and watch this space.

Not too late at 58

I had a lightbulb moment was when I was on a self-publishing course run by Cumbria Chamber of Commerce. It was led by the very excellent David Kinsella and Paul Teague and the biggest things I learned were that:
- I can't do all the techie stuff myself
- I can't do all the marketing stuff myself
- I NEED HELP and I'm now asking for help.
- But I am ready to give all this my best shot

I asked for some help and it has come from several different places.

I will shortly be interviewing two friends about their completely different achievements 'later in life'. Look out for Ali Turnbull of Fit to Print and Zoe Dawes aka The Quirky Traveller who will feature in the book. Others are already lined up for later.

Anyone else who thinks they qualify can contact me.

Where I write (sometimes) - Motorway Service Stations

A lot of people rave about Tebay Motorway Services in Cumbria, which, to be fair are pretty good. 

I also like Killington Lake Service Station which is a little further down just south of J38.

It’s a bit close to home for me to use very much but if I’m en route to Kendal and early for an appointment I will stop there for a coffee. 

Look at the view! No, not him! That isn't me, by the way, nor do I know who he is. I found the picture on Google Images so presumably he knows he’s there for the world to see.

I like writing in motorway service stations for several reasons

- They are impersonal. Once you've bought your coffee and sit down, no-one bothers you.

- If you choose the right one, the views are stunning – but not too distracting.

- The background noise is a fairly constant hum unless you consciously choose to tune in to it. If you’re stuck, you can listen to conversation at other tables to get ideas.

- If you’re stuck for a description of a character, you can see someone who fits the profile and write a description of him/her. Studying someone without them knowing can be quite tricky so be careful with that one. It’s good for spotting some really telling details.

- The building itself might be like somewhere you’re writing about. In the novel I am currently working on, He’ll be watching, I used the interior of Tebay Services as a description of a cafeteria on a university campus.

- If you’re using a laptop, you can find a plug to keep it charged up.

One downside I have found:

- In the winter it gets a little cold with the outside doors constantly opening and shutting (but fingerless gloves are a wonderful invention).

If you see me, come and say hello. I’ll be ready for a break.

Where I write

My dream writing place

In Malta a lot of the houses look like this. Beautiful.

My dream writing space is the courtyard at the back of a house such as this.
Actually, why not this very one? Two storeys high and overlooking a shady street where each house has a balcony enclosed in brightly painted wood. From the roof garden I can see the sea over the next row of houses. The space isn’t big. It is open to the sky and has two reclining chairs for moments of contemplation or snoozing in the sunshine.

The courtyard is cooler and shady, and PERFECT.

A wooden table is in the shady part, long enough to eat at with friends but small enough that, when I’m writing, there’s only room for me. The table has a honey-coloured brolly to match the Maltese limestone, and it is rectangular to match the table and the space and my computer screen and my notebook.

Committing your dreams and goals to writing is a great first step towards achieving them.

Stating your dream in the present tense, as though you have already achieved it, makes it more real and increases motivation to get there. 

Not too late at 58

OK, so I'm now 59.  And it is still not too late.

I've reverted to my usual writing mode which involves doing a multi-coloured mind map then doing loads of research.  I don't want to simply regurgitate everything that has been written before about setting goals and looking at your own values.

Actually I think it is really important to set goals and consider your own values so that will be part of it too.

My friend Zoe, aka The Quirky Traveller, has alerted me to a Facebook page that focuses on how great it is to be 50+ - so there's another afternoon of research that I can do instead of actually writing.

Now is the time for me to put my own teaching into practice and get a move on.

Goals

• I WILL progress 'Not too late at 58' by at least 1000 words per week from now on
• I WILL do at least one blog post per week

Did I mention my other goal?

• I WILL get my novel self-published withing the next three months. Look out for Judith wants to be your friend coming to an Amazon store near you really soon.

Too late at 58?

Day 2
Instructions say to write a few sentences about each chapter.


Here is the outline for Chapter 1


First of all - there is no requirement for you to be 58. I just happen to be 58.

I know people in their 40s who:

• watch their hair turn ever more grey
• watch their waist-lines expand, just a bit, each year
• watch the bright young things at work enthuse about new ways of doing things
• are sensing redundancy
• are waiting to retire OR WORSE can't see how they can ever afford to retire

Maybe you are one of these people, or maybe you have different problems snapping metaphorically at your heels.

Maybe you haven't got a problem at all. Maybe you have a dream that you didn't realise when you were younger, always waiting for the right time. 

How about we say THE RIGHT TIME IS NOW?

What are you going to regret as you draw your last breath? Having a go, or not having a go?

I already regret not having a go sooner, but what's the point in dwelling on that? 

THE RIGHT TIME IS NOW.

Maybe that should be the title?  Anyone have an opinion on that?

Back in the saddle - and feeling GOOOOOOD

OK, 2015 will be the year.

I have started writing a self-help book following the guidelines by TAG Publishing called 'Write Your Book in 30 Days'. I know, I know - we've read stuff like this before but this time I'm going to follow it through.  You are welcome to join me on the journey.


Day 1

I read through the guidelines and made notes - well planning is SO important. I wouldn't like to rush into anything. Well I did rush into a bit of it. I started the introduction then read that you do that after you've written the whole thing. Here is is as far as I got  . . . . .

***

It’s January 2015 and I’m reading a book I have downloaded. It’s one of those inspirational self-help how-to-live-and-work better, happier and more rewarding books.

It is called ‘Out of Office – work where you like & achieve more’ by Chris Ward.

I was invited to go and hear him speak but I had already committed to working somewhere else that day, so I thought I would read the book instead. I enjoyed it. I was taken with the ideas. But I thought to myself ‘I can’t change the way I do things now. I’m 58, for Heaven’s sake.’  Then I thought again.

                Is 58 too late?

Hell, no! Notice I've already gone from Heaven to Hell?

                58 isn't too late.

That’s when I decided I would write and self-publish an e-book. 

That’s when I decided I would self-publish the novel I wrote a few years ago. 

That’s when I decided I would venture out of my lovely-but-sometimes-lonely office. 

That’s when I thought I could use (and share) my skill, knowledge and talent in a wider and more creative way.

Come with me on my journey and pick up some tips to do what you really want to do.  IT IS NOT TOO LATE.

I will share with you stories of some people who have found success and happiness in a late career change.

·      Some I know personally.

·      Some just happened upon success.

·      Some had been in jobs that were made redundant.

·      Some were desperate and had to do something.

·      Some simply turned a hobby into a business.

·      Some, I am proud to say, I helped on their journey by providing coaching support.

***

My first audio boo

We are developing a new website for Mungrisdale Writers and I have been tasked with recording the introduction for the front page. What do you think?

http://audioboo.fm/boos/1216834-mwg-3

All feedback gratefully received.

Thanks.

Book review – The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany

Set mainly in a once-stylish building in Cairo, this book is about the lives of people whose fates gradually intertwine. The story doesn’t show any of them in a good light but despite that, the reader is sympathetic and drawn in because of the fate dealt to them by Egypt’s corrupt and cruel regime.

It is a society dominated by sex, money, power and religion, all dealt with sensitively. The hardest bit was remembering who was who but there is a ‘cast of characters’ at the beginning to help with the Egyptian names.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish

How to Hook an Agent

On Saturday I went to a Writers and Artists event at Bloomsbury Publishing in London.  There were supposed to be only eighteen of us aspiring authors (actually there were about double that number) and four agents. None-the-less the morning was really informative and quite interactive and we all had a chance to write a hook for our book.

Mine went like this:

If Judith wants to be your friend, she’ll make it happen. She’ll follow you and get to know you, whether you want her to or not.

During lunch we each disappeared from the table to have a 1:1 ‘speed dating’ session with one of the agents. I was first on the list to see Lucy Luck. She read my synopsis (even though she doesn’t like them), gave me some feedback and suggested I submit my first three chapters to her agency.  I have done it this evening.

Right before leaving I had the chance to speak to Madeleine Milburn. About six months ago I submitted three chapters to her agency and she asked to see my whole manuscript (it was a ‘no’ in the end). I was flattered that she remembered so much about it and she was VERY complimentary about my writing.   

Most importantly, she gave me some really good, specific and constructive feedback on how to improve it. That’s my job for the next week or two.

Writing rubbish

I read an article today by Michael Madden in Writing Magazine about allowing yourself to ‘write rubbish’.  A fellow-student on my MA in Creative Writing called it writing a ‘shitty first draft’ and assured us that was the correct term.

Call it what you will, one thing I know from years of study is this:

 You can’t edit a blank page.

 

Until something is written down, on paper or screen, it stays knocking around in your head and remains that (great but) elusive idea.

 

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to get back into a routine of writing EVERY DAY.  This is today’s product, and I’ve still got time to read over my novel-in-progress so that I’m ready to write the next chapter at this time tomorrow.

 The recycling bin is there waiting should it be needed.

 

 

NaNoWriMo 2012

1st November brought with it National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Once again I am going to try for 50 000 words of a new novel. The idea is that you knock out nearly 2000 words per day for 30 days to give the raw material from which to write the next big thing.

So far I have done 5714 words which means that I am behind the average required by 2619 already. I have caught up a bit since Saturday night so feeling confident. I am going to spend almost the whole of Thursday writing, including a NaNo-meet-up in a café in Kendal at 4.30pm. As I understand it, we won't talk to each other, we'll just sit there scribbling away for an hour.  We'll see.

Any other Cumbrian NaNos going?

Very Very Short Story

How about this as a writing exercise?

Write a very short story - a Twitter-short story of only 140 characters.

An example from @VeryShortStory is below.

'The power went out. The elevator stopped. In the dark you told me your fears and cried.  The next day you fired me to keep your secrets safe.'

My next challenge is to write one of my own.  Watch this space.

Free writing

In groups we often start with some free writing. The person leading the session will give a series of words, sometimes linked but often not, and we simply write what comes into our heads. If you can't think of anything, you simply write 'I can't think of anything' until something else comes to mind. I find it is much easier to do when being directed by someone else. At home on my own I hardly ever do it.

Today's exercise is free writing.                                       

Write a page about each of the following topics. Banish all distractions and don't worry that you don't know much about the subjects - write what comes into your mind. It isn't a test and nobody else need ever see it. In fact, you never need to read it back. It is surprising, however, what comes out when you do an exercise like this.

So, one page each on:

• Office furniture
• Marilyn Monroe
• The ozone layer
• Swallows
• Christmas decorations

What surprised you?

Did anything spark a memory that you had forgotten about?

Did you get any ideas for a longer piece of work?

Can you make any connections between the five subjects?

Now that you have 'loosened up', is it time to start on some serious writing?

The sounds around us

Writing exercise 23.10.12

I am going to try to do a writing exercise every day.  Here is today's adapted from The Creative Writing Coursebook.

• Write down 5 things you can hear right now.
• List what you associate with those sounds.

Examples:
- a car engine might remind you of being driven to school
- the door slamming might remind you of family arguments
- a dripping tap might remind you of your student days


In a group, this exercise is really interesting as people tend to hear the same things and interpret them differently. It demonstrates the variety of ways in which people relate to and react to the world around them.

Try it on your own. Look at the words you chose to use and look at your associations.
This is YOUR language.
These are YOUR stories.

Ask yourself -

•  is this YOUR unique writing voice?
• are you using cliches, and if so, is there something more original you could say?

Please, try it and let me know how you get on.


I'm going to do this writing exercise right now.

The Full Manuscript

Hello everyone

Since last time we spoke, an agent asked to see my full manuscript.  How happy I was! 

Three weeks later she said it wasn't for her.  How sad I was!

I am currently deciding what to do next. A friend at Mungrisdale Writers has self-published. Her book is called Learning to Tie a Bow by Sarah Hampton. Should I do the same?

What do you all think?

Bel x

The rite of passage

So much has been written about getting rejections from agents and publishers. All I can add it that it is all true. Last time I spoke to my writing-buddy Lizzie Gates (http://authorgym.wordpress.com) I told her that I was despondent. She still maintains that you can’t call yourself a writer and that you mustn’t allow yourself to be down-hearted until you’ve had at least thirty (yes, 30) rejections. My niece Katie Ward, whose lovely book Girl Reading was published by Virago this year, says thirty – and all the rest! To date, I have had four rejections and have not been short-listed for the two debut novel competitions I entered.

So now it’s back to the drawing board. I am looking at my journal and reminding myself of some of the basics:

·         Research the agencies to be sure to approach the right ones

·         Follow their guidelines – to the letter

·         Know which authors/books you liken yourself/your book to (grammar!!)

·         Welcome feedback and don’t be over-sensitive

·         Persevere

·         Use contacts shamelessly (I’ve never been able to do that for anything)

·         Be professional (does that contradict the point above?)

I’m going back to Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook now to continue my quest.

TLC – no not Tender Loving Care!

In May 2011 I sent my first three chapters of Fail Better to The Literary Consultancy for critique. This was a ‘free offer’ to Cumbrian writers with experience of writing and with a low income! How did they know? I waited ages to get it back but when I did I was SO delighted. I wish I could quote everything from the covering letter.

Here are some snippets:

- ‘I’d like to say that I enjoyed reading this extract very much. The complex character of Judith was, at times, reminiscent of Ripley in Patricia Highsmith’s novels; not entirely likeable but definitely compelling!’

- ‘The pace is very strong indeed ..... and there is a solid and worryingly plausible story at play.’

- ‘You ask about genre. Reading this extract, it seems to me the best way to describe it in a pitch to an agent or publisher is to emphasise the pace and story alongside the psychological elements.’

I am now (October 2011) going through the rite of passage of reject letters. In re-reading the whole of the critique from The Literary Consultancy (TLC) I am administering some Tender Loving Care (TLC) to my writing ego.

Thank you, Zoe Strachan for your encouraging words along with constructive critique.