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Anyone writing a book??

124 replies

mrsmalumbas · 10/05/2007 17:48

Hi all

Has anyone out there written a book (novel)? Or in the process of writing one?

I have always had this feeling that I have a book inside me somewehere, but I'm not sure how to go about finding it!

Would love to share tips/ideas/experiences with other budding authors.

OP posts:
Shrinkinglily · 30/05/2007 10:16

That's brilliant Oenophile. Well done! It is really helpful too for those of us who are clueless about the reality of getting published. Good luck for september, I hope it'll be worth the wait for you.

Kathyis6incheshigh · 30/05/2007 10:29

Oenophile, that's fantastic and encouraging and not braggy at all - congratulations & thank you for the tips!

Are there many mags which look at fiction that doesn't come via an agent? Last time I looked in the Writers Handbook this seemed to be a bit of a problem.

aikigypsy · 30/05/2007 13:45

Hi Oenophile,
1 acceptance in 4 is a really good rate! Most published writers I know get more like 1 in 10, but of course it depends on the type of article and the publication (and your reputation). Local newspapers are the easiest, I find (having had 3 articles bought by one). I haven't had any success with selling my fiction yet, so I think it's great that you're selling stories.

So far, I have about 12 agent rejections, and a couple of non-responses. I understand that Harry Potter was turned down by 40 agents, so I guess I need more persistence!

The first few times you send things out, it does take guts, but later it's more routine and usually I don't find the rejections too discouraging. I need to start sending things out again soon, I think.

pudding77 · 30/05/2007 14:04

I wish I could get to the point of sending things out but I just seem to have lots of half-written bits around!

However, Oenophile, you've given me hope!

Right, just need to get off MN now...

Oenophile · 30/05/2007 14:57

Hello everyone, it was lovely to get some replies and thanks for all the best wishes!

Kathy and anyone else interested, the mags I know of which definitely take unsolicited fiction are:

People's Friend
My Weekly
Take a Break/Fiction Feast
The Lady
Woman's Weekly

Here is a very useful site which gives some useful information on UK short story markets (though some links are out of date.) You can see the My Weekly and People's Friend and Lady submission guidlines linked there, though I'd recommend writing to them for up to date guidelines (enclose an SAE of course). Take A Break/Fiction Feast also send out a very useful guide including 'plot no-nos' - quite amusing (don't write as a dog for example ) Be warned - they can take AGES to reply - the longest I've waited was 5 months but certainly two months is standard.

If anyone has anything they've written looking for a home, or simply needs a bit of an incentive to dust something off, that Jackie Bennett site is running a competition at the moment -you can email a short story, costs £4 to enter which isn't bad. Look at this page for details. The first prize is £150 which is about double what I get for my short stories in My Weekly/PF so it's well worth a go! I entered last time and was shortlisted but no cash alas, sniff

Kathyis6incheshigh · 30/05/2007 15:03

Oenophile, thanks - that's really kind of you

pudding77 · 30/05/2007 15:16

I'm guessing any plots involving twins or 'it was all a dream' are out too

thanks oenophile

pillowcase · 30/05/2007 22:31

oenophile,
thanks for that, i might gear myself up to write a short story (knowing full well that it's not my thing). I've done the magazine thing a little too and got one letter published before i gave up. it seemed to take up so much time and all i really want to write is a novel. seems that in order to even be considered for publication you should have a portfolio of previous successes, chicken and egg no?

well done on your stories though, and esp on your blog, september is not far, hope you get good news.

as an aside: i've told dh tonight that if i make a million i'll be wanting to move house, he just nods sagely and says 'yes dear'.... do you think he doubts me?

Oenophile · 31/05/2007 08:14

Pudding, you are so spot-on - the list of no-nos has one terse and surly line that prohibits "ANYthing to do with twins"

Pillowcase, do have a go at a short story, if you set a non-demanding daily quota like 100 words which you MUST get down no matter what, you might find that helps. That particular competition I linked to has three photographs meant to spark your ideas off (though you don't have to use them.) At the very least, the discipline of writing a short story is good training for your up-coming novel!

And yes, I do think that having had a short story published looks good in your covering letter to publishers and certainly to agents. It may mean they at least read the first page of your magnum opus before stuffing it back in your return envelope and remember always to make that first page good, as agents freely admit sometimes they stop reading after the first paragraph. It's no good pleading 'but it really gets going in chapter 3' as their argument is that the reader won't get that far. I rewrote the whole beginning of my blog-book having learned that to my cost.

My best tip of all is to stay away from internet forums, and especially from Big Brother, as these will eat up your time. I am determined to be strong and avoid BB this time as I never wrote a word between May and August last year, but then again I guess I could tell myself that there is a whole lot of useful human psychology there to study with my writer's hat on .. yes, that's it....

BandofMothers · 31/05/2007 08:30

Gosh, if I ever finish anything how do I go about getting it seen. How do you know who to send it too??
I have a poem I want to turn into a childrens book, a novel that has 6 and a bit chapters that I can't seem to get back into and I've just started a new one that I am determined to finish and am very excited about.

WritingMum · 31/05/2007 09:43

Hi BoM,
Have you got a copy of The Writers and Artists Yearbook? It lists agents, publishers, magazines, newspapers, writing competitions - everything you need to get started. (It'll be in the library if not, or you can find much of the info online.)
Back in the pre-kids days, I used to work as an editor so know that it's very very rare for someone to have a book published without getting an agent to represent you. Having said that, an agent may take you on on the strength of an unfinished novel - they usually ask for three chapters and a synopsis.

Genidef - if you are still here (!) I posted originally as LucyDiamond (my pen name) and you asked about the course I mentioned - it was the Novel Writing Course at the University of Sussex, just an evening class. Sorry not to have replied sooner, half-term crept up on me and I have been on Mum Duty!

Sue xx

Shrinkinglily · 31/05/2007 09:46

Years ago when I made the childrens book (wrote and illustrated it) I went into a bookshop and copied down about 6 publishers from books that looked quirky like mine. Then I photocopied the book and gradually sent to them and got rejected by them all of course. But got some very nice rejections

Actually now I feel like looking at it again and seeing if I can redo it and try again...I hate giving up on anything!

I since got a book called 'how to write for children and get published' or something...must find it and have a look.

I remember it said things like double spacing the work and do page numbers in multiples of four Ooh and don't expect your illustrations to be taken up for your own book. The book I had done was more like a piece of art though and story and artwork interwoven.

I like the idea of doing 100 words a day.

BandofMothers · 31/05/2007 09:50

Thanks WM, no I haven't but will look.
I have not sent the poem off cos was going to illustrate it myself. If that doesn't guarentee they'll use yours anyway, I might just polish it and send it off.

michaelad · 31/05/2007 09:55

Morning BOM,
long time no see!

BandofMothers · 31/05/2007 09:55

Someone was looking for you t'other day MD.

How are you???

michaelad · 31/05/2007 09:57

You have just started a new book?? Really?? Tell me more!!!
Did you ever get around to reading more of my dh's chapters?

michaelad · 31/05/2007 09:58

Busy, busy..but otherwise fine! Never seem to find the time to visit the Bar or Teashop for any length of time these days

pudding77 · 31/05/2007 21:37

Ok, I finally did the window exercise, 354 words. I did find it quite hard tho, kept wanting to put more background detail in than I think we were supposed to. Actually, whilst its not great, I do think it could turn into a pretty good short story with a lot of work.

pillowcase · 01/06/2007 08:34

well done pudding. 300 is very short isn't it. you should do just that - continue and turn it into a short story and then enter the competition oenophile posted about. (and obviously when you're waiting for the results of the competition you'll be chipping away at the novel)See? Easy!

Kathyis6incheshigh · 01/06/2007 09:44

Since others are posting their experiences of the exercise here I'll add mine - I found that what came out was actually related to a novel I've got on the go. I wrote about 500 words and could have carried on for ever, but I can't afford to let my hero stare out of a window for 500 words because it'll slow things down too much!
It was v useful as it got me back into thinking about it as I'd drifted away due to lack of sleep.

BandofMothers · 01/06/2007 20:14

MD, not yet
So sorry. Actually among my project, dd's , rereading Harry Potter, and the trillion other things I do, I forgot until I saw you on here the other day

I have started a new project and now need to kick myself up the bum and really get into it. Course sitting on MN doesn't help with that.

LowFatMilkshake · 06/06/2007 14:48

I've had a scroll through this thread.

After my first PG I start a novel but I just got frustrated as I was'nt writing quick enough for my brain which was churning out plot really fast.

Towards the end of my maternity leave second time around, my brain started to adle so to help it maintain some firmness I wrote a couple of childrens book. I would love get them looked at proffesionally with a view to publishing them, but where to start.

RosaLuxembourg · 06/06/2007 21:44

LowFat - I noticed in some bookshop recently there is now a children's version of the Writers and Artists Yearbook

It looks really good. I would get that if I were you and proceed from there.

LowFatMilkshake · 07/06/2007 13:39

Thanks Rosa!

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