For anyone else who wants to start/progress/finish writing a book in 2011

[artifarti]

As the title says really!

Me: After several years of dithering with short stories, I committed myself to Nanowrimo last month and managed to bash out a 50,000 first draft of an idea I've had for ages. There is some excrutiating crap in there but also the bare bones of a plot and some interesting characters. So I'd really like to spend 2011 trying to develop it into something better.

But I need some company so that we can mutually kick each other's arses when the temptation to watch Holby City is proving too great. Anyone else?

Oh yes and the agent has the first draft! Eek. She knew it wasn't even half finished when she requested it and said she just wanted to see whatever I had so er that's what I sent over. ;)

Hi, AprilRose! Don't fret about your title, it's not a deal-breaker by any means. I think out of eleven books, I've kept... um... thinking... maybe four of my original titles? When a title change is suggested, however, I try to think fast. I usually ask around writer friends, family (luckily, I have a lot of writers/readers in my family) and on all my yahoo writer groups for title suggestions and come up with a list of maybe ten or so. Then I give that to my editor and it's usually thrown around in-house. Sales and Marketing usually have the final say (you'll find Sales and Marketing usually have the final say about everything, unfortunately). Sometimes they'll pick something from my list, sometimes not. Occasionally, someone will come up with something fabulous and you'll just 'know' that's it. Someone on one of my yahoo groups did that for me once. It was amazing.

MmeGuillotine, you didn't get an advance? Is it an epublisher you're working with?

belle I am grateful for the twitter tip! have been meaning to go on there for ages but what with mn and ebay lol .. and I agree with you about negative feedback. Last time I got similar negative feedback from readers, was hard, but on reflection they were spot on and it helped me to improve because on the next project I tried really hard not to do it (sensationalise). Woolly, criticism should ideally be constructive and help you move forwards? but imo you can't expect to write perfectly from the off, you need to practice and if your friend saved you sending out dud ms's she prob did you a favour. Personally I'd work my socks off and ask her again, as well as asking other people. Writing is bloody hard!
welcome to april, too

oh yes, and don't be discouraged. writing's the best thing in the world, even if you are not getting paid for it! hones your observation skills, your appreciation of language in general, writing a book is like a chess game, keeps you sharp - but it can go anywhere, the potential is limitless. It's never going to be a waste of your time. Well, maybe a little if you are daydreaming about it during meetings at work

Oh no! Don't tell me twitter is a good idea! Yet another thing to get distracted by

I'll have a look at it now. Not that I have anything ready for submission yet, 'cept my picture books...about which I've heard nothing from the agent I sent them to. I think my plan for this week will be to submit elsewhere.

I've got RSI I think, in my elbow, from suddenly writing a lot long-hand. I think I ought to take some regular anti-inflammatories otherwise I'll have to stop writing long hand and I love doing it!

Twitter is brilliant! I've got to know so many writers and such like thanks to it and it's really helped me.

Novelist, yes, it is being e-published this summer. I'm in two minds about the whole thing tbh as my Kindle book is selling well and I really love self publishing and the control it gives me over my work. I'll see what happens with the agents who are interested in me though.

Ok twitter it is - but how do you use it? I have an account, and I kind of signed up to loads of things when I opened it, but what do you do with it then? Open it every day to read your feed? Can I PM you and add you so I can look at who you're following?

I need a step-by-step guide for twitter - I've tried three times to get into it now, and have never managed it!

Sign up then follow interesting people (not the slebs though - they are boring as hell) and then follow the people they follow and RT too. You can download something like Tweetdeck to read it through or use their site (I do this so I can dip in and out rather than having it pinging away at me).

The main thing is really to talk to people - just jump in and talk. Don't worry about 'butting' into conversations - just get stuck in. You get the most out of it if you don't lurk but join in. I'm very shy so it took me a while to get going but I love it now. :)

I'm MmeGuillotine on there - give me a shout if you want any help? I'll even #FF (basically a shout out that people do every week to recommend Tweeters that they think are worth following) you to get you started with some new followers. ;)

1494 words of Chapter 11 completed this morning. That's me done now until next week as RL keeps me busy. But as you say, ninah, I bet I will be thinking about the rest of Chapter 11 and I may even sneak in bits of writing here and there.

I'm on Twitter but not as a writer. I know that if or when I am published then blogging and tweeting will be essential marketing tools for me (and my publisher - again with the !). The thing is, should I start using my real name?

I need to start thinking about this too if I plan on submitting my novel this year...

I think the main reason that publishers and agents are interested in me is my blog and Twitter to be honest as I have big followings on both plus links to other history and historical fiction bloggers and writers.

I don't use my real name on Twitter or my blog (although it isn't a secret), but have the same name, Madame Guillotine, on both.

It's interesting, MmeGuillotine, because there is a key subject running through my novel (one of the MC's passions is a particular regional cooking) that lends itself very well to a separate blog related to this passion of hers and so related to the actual novel. Rather than a blog and a feed about my writing highs/lows/process I could set up a standalone blog just on this topic - I'm interested enough myself in this region's cooking to keep the blog going. It would be a nice counterpoint to the novel, I think. Hmmm, lots to ponder on over the next few days.

Again, like Twitter I have a blog but it's related to places I go/do as I "go/do" alot and it has a good readership. But it's not about my writing as such as I keep that more to myself.

hey that sounds interesting bb. can you say what region? makes me want to read on, anyway!

India, ninah, which is where I'm from originally, specifically Bengal, which is the cooking I love .

definitely another one for my shelves then - I love writing that appeals to the senses (glutton emoticon) now I come to think of it most of my characters live on student food and beer. Muses. Oh, they did go to an Indian restaurant, quite a good one, can't remember what it was called or if it is still there but it was just off Dorset Square in W1 and had a fountain from what I remember. And two of them had another good meal but it was spoilt by an argument. That's it! next novel I'll definitely incorporate some proper food, thanks for the inspiration!

Am a big fan of Twitter as well. It's fascinating to be able to follow agents and editors and read about what's going on at the London Book Fair, Bologna etc. as it actually happens. Have followed you, MmeGuillotine!

Ok, I'm all set up. Now to get following publishers and agents etc.

Hit 34k last night.

Have followed you both back - don't worry, I won't be mentioning my RPJ dream again. ;)

Also, well done FlamingoBingo! :D

Aw crap - it sounded good!

I am following you mme g. I am c8hennessy. Not sure if I'll be tweeting much, but right now we have broken up for half term atm. Yay! am an ex art historian

hi guys - sorry for my downer a while ago! Think i just feel a bit like it's so hard to get published. I feel a bit like I had some really good atarts (writing for uni paper/winning young journalist comp/ winning short story comp/ all in quite a short space of time just after uni but was in a really difficult relationship and couldn't capitalise on anything and didn't have any connections to the writing world so it never came to anything?
Now I feel abit bleurgh at rewriting the children's book and bogged down with age groups/ word counts etc.
I need to start writing again.
I think, having had an agent interested and then a no, coupled with conflicting advice (she thought the charactter's ideas were 'too adult' for 9-12 whereas Cornerstones didn't mention it, and felt it was more suited to under nines!) makes me feel a bit down. Back to square1.
You are all right tho - I am doing this for fun.
Plus RL is a bit demanding at the mo. Just ignore me and I'll lurk quietly!
Sorry!

know what you mean gp, I got a bit derailed in my 20s too. Sounds like you're in the right place to start again now, so go for it. You obviously have the talent.

Keep at it grumpy. It's hard but it deters the people who don't really want it.

FlamingoBingo - I am only slightly exaggerating when I say that it was the best dream of all time. The high point was this exchange at the end when I was wandering around a field in Chelsea (?!):

RPJ: 'You know, Officer C, you'd look quite pretty if you did your hair a bit.'
Me: 'RPJ, are you flirting with me?'
RPJ: 'No.'

;)

I've followed you back, Ninah! :)