The Right Write

As we are approach the end of the cruel month of January, I’m looking back and reflecting.  You see this month taught me quite a valuable lesson.

I hit the ground running with BOOK SIX and before I knew it I was almost 20k words in (that’s about a quarter of a book).  Then the unthinkable happened - we fell out.  Yep, me and my work in progress just stopped seeing eye to eye.  It’s only ever happened to me once before, and that was at a much earlier stage in development.

I figured I was tired, that I’d been trying to do too much.  So I put my work aside and hoped for the best.

When I returned to it, I still liked it and so did hubbie but something just didn’t feel right.  When I write, I start each day eager to get back to my characters and ready to plough forward with the plot.  But this wasn’t happening with this book and I found that I was finding any excuse to be doing something else.

But not only was I not writing, I also wasn’t thinking.  That was another reason why I began to suspect something was wrong.  You see, as any writer knows, when you’re mid-book your mind is constantly drifting, seeking out your characters and testing snippets of dialogue or possible sub-plots.  None of this was happening.

So I did what I do best.  I sulked for a while and told myself I’d never write another book again - I’d clearly lost the knack.  All my bragging about not getting writer’s block was coming back to bite me on the bum and it served me right.  My writer’s days were over.

Then a little voice popped into my head and, not only did it tell me that I was writing the wrong book at the wrong time, it also gave me the tiniest seed of a new plot.

I went to bed that night and considered what had happened.  Could I really ditch all the hard work I’d put in and start on another project? - what if that failed too?

But the following morning saw me feeling brighter and more positive than I had all month.  I had to listen to my gut feeling and go with the flow.

And that’s exactly what happened - I began to flow again.  The words were flying out of me with no blockages or hiccups and hubbie was delighted to see me drifting off again with what he calls ‘plot face’.

I’m not looking at the hours I spent on ‘The Other Book Six’ as wasted.  I’m seeing it as a lesson, a very valuable one.  If something’s not working, you know it instinctively and no amount of sitting looking at a screen or notebook will get it moving forward.

I’m now 12k words into my new work and each day starts with that old familiar fizz of excitement.

Not only am I back on track but I’ll be ready for a blip like that if it ever happens again - it’s no crime to cut your losses and I don’t think it makes you less of a writer.  I actually think it makes you more of one.

Now, excuse me but I have a book to write.  The right book.

PS:  There were two winners of the competition I ran last week.  One chose 'Diary of a Mummy Misfit' and one chose 'Stilettos and Stubble'.  Congratulations and thanks to all those who entered.

COMPETITION TIME!

As the London snow starts to melt and 'Blue Monday' has passed us by, I've decided to spread a little happiness on the blog this week.

January is a cruel and long month.  I personally like nothing better than curling up with a cup of tea, some chocolate biscuits and a good book.  Now I can't provide you with the tea and biscuits but I might be able to help you with your own reading material.

Would you like to win a Kindle compatible copy of one of my books to help pass some chilly hours?

I'll be running this competition until Tuesday 29th January 8pm (UK) and my son will pick the winner based on the answer he thinks is the best.

SO ... take a look at my books below and then tell me which one you'd like and why you feel you should win the prize.  You can leave your answers here, on Facebook, Twitter or by email.

The winner will be announced on next week's blog - and don't forget you don't need a Kindle.  You can read on  PCs, Smartphones or iPads with a free app from Amazon.

CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING:

Ever felt like you don't belong?

When Libby Marchant and husband Ned made the monumental decision to sacrifice luxuries and holidays to see their only son Max through private education, they hadn’t expected to meet so many unsavoury and dislikeable personalities along the way.

Happily, the cruel jibes of the pompous ‘Meemies’ are made more tolerable by the lasting and loyal friendship they strike up with the affluent Fenella & Josh.

Follow Libby’s journey as she discovers the chasm between the Haves and the Have-Nots in her mad new world of school committees, designer handbags, bitching and botox.

With Fenella by her side, Libby is able to maintain her sanity. But what happens when the credit crunch bites, you’re desperate for another baby and your Asian neighbour is trying to match-make you with her infatuated son?

 

 

 

THE SEQUEL TO 'DIARY OF A MUMMY MISFIT'

Think you knew Mummy Misfit?

Well, you might be in for a surprise.

After a year of struggling with school fees, trying to become pregnant and feeling like she didn’t belong amongst the prep-school ‘Meemies’, Libby is back.

Only this time, she’s got it all.

But how long can it last and will she ever be truly happy?

Join Libby on her hilarious, yet sensitive journey as loyalty, friendships and values are tested in
‘The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit’.  

 

Middle aged and middle-of-the-road, Fee Crawford has been drifting through life in a passionless marriage and hurtling towards the menopause.

With her twin boys grown up and needing her less, why does she still feel incomplete?

Coping with her elderly dad, increasingly distant husband and flighty best friend, Cordelia, her life seems to be spiralling out of control.

Will a chance meeting with a handsome vet be the missing link to make everything fall into place? A tale of families, love and mid-life crisis. 

 

 

 

All her life Persephone’s been branded a ‘Big Girl’.

Criticised by her outwardly perfect mother, dearly loved by her father, she’s the
‘Queen of Low Self-Esteem’.

Finding herself suddenly immersed in a world of glitz and glamour, where nothing is quite as it seems, will she finally realise ...

... ‘It’s what’s inside that counts’? 

THIS BOOK IS A SHORT READ OF ABOUT 21,000 WORDS AND ALSO FEATURES THE FIRST CHAPTER OF 'STILETTOS & STUBBLE'

It’s that time of year again and the Willoughby family think they’ve got everything wrapped up.

Each concealing their own issues, they return to widowed mum Maggie to play at happy families.

But an unexpected delivery challenges their perceptions of one other - and of themselves.

Grab a mulled wine, snuggle up by the fire and share a family Christmas with a difference.

Because Christmas doesn’t always deliver what you want - but sometimes it might be just what you need.

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR:

‘Gems like this speak to your heart head and funny bone’
(The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit)

‘A good, well-written slice of British chicklit’
(Diary of a Mummy Misfit)

‘Essential reading for any mother at any stage of motherhood’
(Diary of a Mummy Misfit)

‘A superb knack of putting vivid images in your head with her fabulous writing style’
(Completing the Puzzle)

‘I feel her pain, I laugh when she laughs and I cry when she cries’
(The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit)

‘A story which is not only laugh-out-loud funny, it's also touching’
(Diary of a Mummy Misfit)

 

 

The Misfit and Mr Wilfred

Today I’m being interviewed by Twitter friend, Ian Wilfred.  Ian is well worth a follow as he’ll always cheer you up and give you a giggle.  He’s also one of a very select group of males who choose to write chicklit and his debut novel ‘Putting Right the Past’ will be published in April. Watch this space.  I can't wait to read it.

Over to Ian …

So Amanda, can you remember the first thing you ever wrote that you were proud of?

Oh yes, I most definitely can, Ian!  I was about seven and we were told to write an essay about fireworks. Well, let me tell you, I became those fireworks!  I wrote it from their perspective as they all waited in the box before the big event.  I think it was about six pages long and I was so unbelievably proud of myself.  The icing on the cake was when I was sent to the Headmaster to get a star stamped on my forehead for good work - I swear I worked harder on the days the star survived on my unwashed face.  Now there’s a thought … I might get hubbie to start whacking a gold star on me at the end of a good day’s writing!

How do you deal with writer’s block?

I don’t want to tempt fate here, so I’ll whisper it … I don’t really ever get it, shush!  I sit down to write in the morning and I always know where I need to be taking the story on that day.  Most nights will see me planning in my head as I lie in bed - it beats worrying about everyday life and stuff you can’t change!  So by the time I’m at my desk, I’m ready to go.  My characters always tell me where they need to go next and I simply follow them along their path.  On the days that I’m woolly-headed or slow, I get up, make coffee, put some washing on, pluck an eyebrow or two and suddenly I find I’m good to go again.

Why do you avoid sex scenes?

As most of my books contain a certain amount of humour, I don’t feel they are suited to explicit scenes so the act is alluded to and left at the bedroom door.  I’m certainly no prude, and am quite partial to a little smutty read on occasions, but it’s not my writing style and I don’t believe my readers expect it or feel shafted (pardon the pun) that it’s not there.

A reader of ‘Stilettos & Stubble’ was a little miffed that there was no real reference to the gays’ sex lives.  What’s your take on this?

I have to say that review left me a little confused.  As I mentioned before, all sex is left at the bedroom door so it would have been a little odd to start writing graphic gay scenes.  I feel that the love between various drag queens in the book is written fully and with sensitivity - I hope I made the reader feel their commitment and loyalty and realise that, through that, a little more than hand holding takes place!  In any event the main action focuses on Persephone and Luke and, as with most books, the shenanigans of others remain on the periphery.

If a publisher offered you a book deal now, would you bite their hand off?

I’d have to be totally mercenary here and say, ‘How much?’  Working as an Indie suits me just fine at the moment and I know that, aside from the small cut that goes to Amazon and Lulu, all the profits are mine.  OK that also means that I have to do all my own promoting and general flogging but I’m my own boss, working at my own pace.  Aside from my writing, I have a husband, teenage son and elderly mother to think about - which means I’m not always in a position to drop everything and go to a book signing in Outer Mongolia.  Saying that though, I’m an excellent juggler and could easily manage a few extra balls if a six figure offer was thrown into the mix.

What are your hopes and dreams for 2013?

I plan to release two new novels - June and December - and a Christmas novella in October.  ‘Christmas Deliverance’ was very well received but I regret not bringing it out earlier last year - you live and learn.

I’d like to earn enough to get our leaky roof fixed and redecorate the house - I LOVE painting so this will be a huge pleasure.  In reality, I’ll be happy to earn enough to just keep the leaky roof over our heads.

I’d like to have a short break - just a couple of days by the sea.  Unlikely, but I can dream.

I hope my son finishes his final year at school with A level results that he’s pleased with and a rough idea of where he’s heading in life.  I just want him to be happy.

I want all my family and friends to be happy, healthy and safe.

Thanks for the interview, Ian, it’s been fun and I fully intend to return the favour when your novel hits the shelves.  I can’t wait to delve into your head a little further and find out what makes a guy write chicklit!

Awards of 2012

Many thanks to my friend and fellow writer/blogger, Jamie Tucker Dougan for tagging me this week in his Awards of 2012 blog.

Jamie wanted to sum up the year with a few quick-fire questions.  So here goes with my answers:

One word to sum up 2012.

Interesting!

Song of the year.

Olly Murs and ‘Troublemaker’ - I love this song and it never hurts to see Olly in action, does it?

Album of the year.

Ok so it’s a couple of years after its release date but this album first came onto my radar last year so I think it counts.  It’s the fab Caro Emerald and ‘Deleted Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor’  It’s a little bit quirky, raunchy and Burlesque and always has me singing along and ready for a shimmy.

Highlight of the year.

Seeing my book at #1 free in Kindle and then the subsequent sales on the back of that.

Hero of the year.

My lovely husband.  I know, reach for the puke bucket but I do mean it. Even in the most dire of times he stays upbeat and positive and I welcome every new day and challenge we share together.  I wouldn’t be a published author without him and I love him for his support and the constant laughter.

Sports star of the year.

I’m not a sporty person but I fell in love with Mo Farah this year.  That open smile just melts my heart and when he so effortlessly beat The Cube and won £250,000 for charity, I cried buckets.  Yes, I’m a soppy cow!

Movie of the year.

It’s an oldie but a goodie and one we finally got to share with our son so I’d have to say, ‘Rainman’ -  OK it’s not a 2012 movie but it was part of our year and I defy anyone to watch this film without laughing and crying.

TV show of the year.

Sorry, you either love it or hate it but it has to be Miranda - the inspiration behind my latest novel ‘Stilettos & Stubble’

Also ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ and ‘Come Dine With Me.’

Crush of the year.

Whenever I write I have Gold TV playing British sitcom reruns constantly in the background and I have a super soft spot for Geoffrey Palmer  in ‘As Time Goes By’.  Craggy, lived-in and cosy with a dry sense of humour but an underlying sexiness!

On the other side of the coin, I have the hots for Olly Murs - way too young, way too wrong!

So what would your answers be?  How would you rate your 2012? Please feel free to post your own blog or leave your comments here.

You can purchase all 4 of my books or my Christmas novella at Amazon for Kindle or at Lulu in paperback. Thank you and Happy New Year!

A Good Face for Radio!

Happy 2013 to all my readers!  How’s it been going for you so far?  Good, I hope, because we don’t want it any other way, do we?

A short but sweet blog this week as I wanted to keep you up to date with happenings here at Misfit House.

My year has certainly started in the right way and long may it continue.  Our New Year’s Eve was spent in the company of close friends, drinking champers, eating and taking part in a quiz.  Oh, and teaching a puppy to dance Pudsey-style but that’s a whole different story and no, there are no pictures!

And on the back of my Daily Mail article, I was offered two radio interviews.  The first was for Talk Radio Europe and it was recorded today ready to go on air tomorrow (Thursday 3^rd January) at 6pm and repeated on Sunday 6^th January at 9pm - you can eventually listen to it here.  

The second will be going out LIVE at 3pm (eek!) on BBC Radio London 94.9 this coming Friday 5^th on the Jo Good show.  The producer has told me that I’ll also be taking calls from listeners, so I fully expect to be ripped to shreds, but I welcome the chance to defend myself and my son.  Bring it on!  I’m also looking forward to a visit to the BBC studios - exciting times!  You can tune in on the radio or online here.

So, all in all, a positive start to my new year.  BOOK SIX is planned and ready to be started next week. I’m thoroughly looking forward to getting back to some sort of routine and knuckling down to get that first draft out.  The characters are ready and the stage is set - all that’s needed is for me to say ‘Curtain Up!’  And that may give you a slight clue to the book’s content.  ‘Nuff said!

So, New Year’s resolutions?  Nah!  I never bother because I don’t believe in them.  Although I've kind of been forced into one.  My goddaughter reminded me that we’d made a vow (three years ago) to have our hair permed on my 50^th birthday (February 2014) so this year’s challenge is to grow my hair!  Hubbie is NOT happy - he likes the bob too much but a godmother never goes back on a promise.

Wish me luck as I head off to my interview and, if any of you fancy ringing in, it would be great to hear a friendly voice.

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2013

'There but for the grace of God' ...

As the saying goes, ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ and, after appearing in The Daily Mail yesterday, I couldn’t agree more.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I began my writing journey after my son developed school phobia and I found that I had time on my hands to read and ultimately fulfil my dream of completing a novel.  My son was crippled by his condition and, at the time, there was very little help or information - even online.  So when the opportunity to feature in a national newspaper came up, both my son and I agreed that if it could help just ONE child it would be worth it.

I’ve now had many people contact me through Facebook, Twitter and via comments on the article saying how relieved they were to read the story - that they no longer feel alone.  And, always a bonus, my book sales have rocketed and my first book ‘Diary of a Mummy Misfit’ is back to #49 in humour on Kindle.  And for those who aren't familiar with my writing, none of my books are related to my experiences with school phobia - I write humorous chicklit, which I don't think came across in the article.

On the downside … people can be so nasty!  Some of the comments made by ill-informed readers astonished me.  I don’t mind for myself, but when they’re spiteful and directed at my son, that’s when I start to see red!  Thankfully, he’s a level headed boy and has had a good laugh at them - no, he’s no the weak little weasel who likes trainspotting and hides behind his mother’s apron, as some readers seemed to think. He’s a tall and feisty 17 year old with a wicked sense of humour and a definite mind of his own.  I agree that the photos are very staged and imply that we are joined at the hip - but that’s the papers for you!

But the truly laughable comments were:

‘So sad when you see an old mum’ !!!

OK so I’m almost 50!

‘Where was the father in all this?’ / ‘Another single mother ruins a child’s life’

Did you not read the article?  It clearly states that I’m married and my husband was supportive.  Why show yourself up by commenting on something you haven’t read?

‘Why didn’t she get him counselling or attempt half days?’

Go back and have another read, love!

‘How convenient that he developed this problem in time for some publicity for a new book’

Er, excuse me, the book mentioned in the article has been published for 18 months.

‘How wordy is this article?  Did she have to hit a word target?’

This was an annoying one as, although the article had my name at the top, I didn’t write it.  This had worried me from the start but it was the only way the Mail were prepared to do it. I'd also like to add that I never agreed to the headline, 'Now she wonders if she was devoted or deluded' - this implies that I regret my decision, which I don't.

Then, of course, you have the bullies - the type who would have made other kid’s lives a misery.  The ‘clip round the ear’ / ‘give ‘em a good whacking’ type who have been fortunate enough to never suffer from feelings of fear or panic.  I wouldn’t wish it on anyone but, you my friends, can have a bloody good dose of it and rot.  And, as one reader suggested, God forbid you should ever have to be there for one of your own loved ones - you wouldn’t have the tools to cope.

Just to set the record straight, I did not mollycoddle my son when this condition started - I was a hard-hearted, mean mum who screamed, shouted and lost the plot on several occasions.  I’m not proud of that but we had no idea what we were dealing with at the time.  I helped in the library for a year (unpaid) and was on the brink of being offered a job there when the owner of the school decided against employing a mum - so, to all those who implied I was a lazy middle class cow who was happy to sit in my car and file my nails, remember newspaper articles never print all the facts.

It’s so easy to judge, isn’t it?  We all do it - I’ve been guilty of it in the past.  I can fully accept that there will be many people who will totally disagree with the way that this problem was dealt with, but they haven’t lived through it or walked in my shoes.  I have no problem with reading people’s opinions but is there ever any excuse for such vitriol?  I wonder if it makes these trolls feel good?

So … would I do it again?  Hell yeah!  As long as my son is OK with nutters’ views, then I’m happy and all we’ll do is focus on the positive comments and hope that we can continue to help other kids and parents.

And if you are one of those people who go round, willy-nilly, leaving vile words - stop and think before you type.  Or maybe just try getting a life!

Merry Christmas One and All!

It's my final blog before Christmas and time for an end of year round up. So what have the past twelve months taught me on my journey as a struggling Indie author?

Hmm, really quite a lot . . .

1. Success is slow, but patience helps.  Eighteen months into my adventure, I’ve sold more books than I expected to but it seemed to take an eternity.

2.     Things can change from one day to the next, one hour to the next.  I never stay down for too long now, it’s not worth it - and the positives far outweigh the negatives.

3.      Not everyone likes my books - I can’t expect them to.  I don’t like Stephen King’s books, they're not my thing - but then I wouldn’t read one and then leave a negative review!

4.      My readers are lovely, loyal people.  Their reviews make me cry and their support is priceless.

5.      Doing free promotions on two of my books was the best move ever.  It raised my Amazon profile and then SOLD heaps of my other books.  I don’t know why I left it so long before doing it. Probably because I imagined people saying, ‘Huh!  She has to give her books away ‘cos she can’t sell them!’  But people aren’t that nasty, are they?!

6.      Fellow Indies are a huge help to one another.  We may be in competition but we still support and care for each other.  A quick rant in an email or on the phone and Michelle Betham and I often feel heaps better.  It’s been a good year for both of us but we’ve had our niggles and our down days - it’s good to know that someone knows exactly how you’re feeling.  You can buy Michelle’s books here.

7.      Editing is a curse!  Typos are sneaky little buggers and will always get the better of you.  Both ‘Stilettos & Stubble’ and ‘Christmas Deliverance’ were read endless times by three people before they went to publication and still there were a few mistakes.  Twitter friends kindly and sensitively pointed them out and both books have now been amended but I admit to throwing a few toys out of the pram when we found them.  It does annoy me though when I read other Indie writers’ reviews and people say things such as ‘You can see they’re an Indie writer.  Typos!’  Well, I’ve just ditched a book by a well known writer with a big publishing house because she changed the name of a character from one paragraph to the next, so it’s not just us Indies who do it.

8.      Everything takes longer than expected.  I’m waiting on two quite exciting developments to finally fall into place but nothing ever goes at the speed I want it to.  I’ve now decided not to pass any exciting news on in the initial stages because I look like a fabricator while I’m waiting for it to materialise.  So do keep watching this space!

So that’s my lessons for the year.  I’m sure next year will teach me a lot more but I’m prepared for the journey and ready to hit the ground running in 2013.  Book Six is on its way.

I’ve also been tagged with these questions by my Twitter friend Ness @baggiesbabe69 - you can read her answers here.

Q1. What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?

I’d have to say the excitement of knowing that I’ve got the right presents for the people I love.  The thought of that perfect gift hiding in my wardrobe is just the best.

Q2. What’s your favourite make up look for the festive season?

For evenings and parties I like to go for a slightly smoky look with paler lips.  I sometimes attempt false eyelashes (the more subtle variety) but I get bad tempered and end up thinking they don’t look much different to when I put on an extra coat of mascara!

Q3. Real or fake tree?

Very good fakes inside (one up and one downstairs) and a real one outside that I grew from a baby.

Q4. Giving presents or receiving them?

Definitely giving.  Although of course I’m more than happy to receive!

Q5. Do you open your presents Christmas morning or evening?

Hubbie and I have our stockings on Christmas Eve and then we all have our presents on Christmas morning after our son has had his stocking.

Q6. Handmade Christmas cards or bought?

We made our own cards, complete with festive pictures of our son, for the first ten years of his life.  He was dressed as a shepherd, a snowman, Father Christmas and one year we turned him into a Christmas tree by wrapping him in green felt and fairy lights!  We even plugged them in - wicked parents!  Now I’m afraid that all cards - except husband’s, son’s and Mum’s - are shop bought.

Q8. What’s your favourite Christmas food?

Chocolate of course!  I also love sprouts so I figure that balances it out.  In the good old days of yummy meat juices, it used to be turkey dripping on toast but meats don’t seem to produce the same fats any more.

Thanks for tagging me, Ness.  It was good to end on a festive theme.

I wish all my readers a happy and peaceful Christmas and don’t forget, if you get a new Kindle from Santa, my books can be found here.