The Delights of a Postcard

When was the last time you sent a postcard? Odd are, it probably wasn't that long ago. Even in the current age of social networking, email, instant messaging and text, there's something about writing, and sending off a pretty picture of the place you're visiting that still appeals to us.



I definitely think there's a pleasure in poring over the options, eventually choosing one and then finding a way of putting the most information in a very small space, without the need for the recipient to be holding a magnifying glass in order to read your holiday prose!

And of course, there's the joy of receiving postcards! Whose face doesn't light up when they see a brightly coloured card tucked in amongst all the white and beige envelopes that collect on the doormat each day. It's a break from the routine, and brings pleasure to us, knowing that whoever sent it took the time to sit down and write to us personally. It is for us alone, and not for the plethora of people who 'read' a Facebook wall. These words were thought up for us, written for us, and sent to us.

Let's hope that the postcard continues to live on, and continue to bring joy to both senders and receivers. And next time you're out, even in your own town, pick up a postcard and send it to someone, thereby brightening both your day, and theirs.

Are you a postcard fan? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

Crime Writing Competition with Stylist magazine

Some of you may remember that I entered a couple of writing competitions earlier in the year. Sadly I didn't place anywhere, but I did get a buzz from the process of completing the entry and sending it off. That, in my opinion, is an accomplishment in itself.

In the wake of these entries, I decided to try and do some more, one of which is the crime writing competition, currently being run by Stylist magazine, in conjunction with Faber & Faber - you can find the details here. However, I've had a long think about it, and have made the decision not to enter.

One of their requirements is that the main protagonist is female. And whilst I have a main female protagonist, I think it could be argued that my other protagonist is very central - and he's male. I could easily see that some may argue he is, in fact, the main character, although that's not how I wrote it, or how I see it, but I'm not convinced others will agree.

There definitely seems a plethora of female led crime dramas around at the moment, both in books, and on the television. I have absolutely no objection to this. I just am beginning to wonder as to whether my choice of a male detective for my book might be a bit out of step with current choices and trends. Not that I am going to change it, because it's central to another thread of the story. And I like him.

So, that's my current thoughts on things - do you agree?

How do you write?

How do you write? I mean, physically? Do you bash out all the words straight onto your laptop, or desktop computer? Do you scribble notes in shorthand to transcribe later or do you write things out in longhand in a posh notebook, again to be typed up later (after some deciphering has taken place, if you're anything like me)?

My tendency to do a couple of these things, depending on where I am, and how accessible the laptop is (and whether it's behaving today). At times I write directly onto the computer. I like the fact that my fingers, generally, can keep up with my brain using this method. (I knew that Grade A in GCSE Typing would come in handy!). I'm also a fan of this way of working for the ease in which I can, with just a couple of clicks, find out just how many words have tumbled out onto the page in each writing session.

However, I do also work in the old fashioned way at times. I enjoy the tactile nature of the paper, flicking over the pages of a day's work has a satisfying feel, quite literally. I also like the fact that, so long as you have paper and pencil (or pen!), you can work almost anywhere. If you want to write by the pool, or on the beach whilst on holiday, you can! Your trusty notebook won't trouble you with glare (especially not once you start filling up those blank pages), it won't go flat just as you come up with a fantastic twist in your novel,    sand doesn't bother it and if you drop it, you can just pick it up again...unlike its electronic counterpart.

My hand written preference is for yellow legal pads and a soft lead pencil. The former means I can mentally distinguish and separate my 'proper writing' from any other scribbles, lists and notes I've made as I only use these for writing. They also stand out nicely from other paperwork when I'm wondering where I've put it this time! As for the pencil, I like the soft gliding motion of this type of pencil. Pens don't do it for me, and harder lead types are just too scratchy.

So, that's the way I work. How about you? I really enjoy hearing about other writers' methods and habits so please leave me a comment below. I've told you mine, now tell me yours!

Who first - Agent or Publisher?

I'm steeling myself for yet another round of that wonderful literary game 'Hunt The Publishing Contract'. As many of us know, this can be a dastardly tricky task, unless you've been on television for five minutes in which case it appears to suddenly get a lot easier...

It's actually a while since I've done this, and many things have changed in the industry over the past few years. With that in mind, I'm wondering as to what the general opinion is on who to approach first? It always used to be the standard that you generally needed an agent first, and to dare to approach a publisher direct was thought very bold. But is that still the case?

I've read so many differing reports of this in writing magazines, blogs and in the news that I'm really a bit confused. I can imagine that should a publisher actually pick up something I sent them, then finding an agent retrospectively would probably be a lot easier - but of course, it's getting someone to make that move in the first place at the publishing house.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences in this respect, so please feel free to leave me a comment below. I'd really appreciate it!

Is There Anybody Out There? (and if not, am I wasting my time?)

I recently attended a webinar on blogging. It was free, and I'd never 'been' to one, so I thought, why not? I should point out now that I only actually caught half of it in the end, as it was being done from the States and with the time difference, ended up at tea time. And I have my priorities!

Something that I found quite interesting was that the chap running the webinar stated that if you don't have a lot of readers, then you're frankly, just wasting your time. His strategy was that you go and guest blog elsewhere on sites that have many thousands of readers, which when they read your superbly entertaining post, will then help entice them over to your blog too.

Now, I can see the logic there but I also have a couple of queries. One is how you get to be included as a guest on a very popular blog as there is probably already a large waiting list, and not all blogs want guest postings. The other is, just because you don't have many (or any?!) readers, does that automatically mean you're just wasting your time posting your thoughts, time after time?

I've been pondering over this question ever since the webinar, on and off, and have come to the conclusion that only you can answer that. Of course we all want plenty of people reading, and enjoying our blog, and doing little happy dances each time they see a new posting has been uploaded. But just because that might not be happening, does that mean that the whole exercise is just a waste of time? Not for me, no. And I would venture to say that goes for many people who blog. We do it to help improve our writing skills, to put into words the thoughts and questions that are tumbling about in our minds, and just for the enjoyment of creating something. Of course, should we be able to communicate with others, swap ideas and take part in discussions as a result, then that's fabulous! That's great! That's what we want! But it's not the be all and end all of blogging.

What do you think? Do you enjoy blogging for the process, and see readers as a bonus or is having people read and comment the absolute and only reason you put the words out there?

Does Music Inspire Your Writing?

I had great plans to get on and do a whole bunch of writing today...and then the 'phone rang and it's now 3 o'clock. I did at least manage to get one article out and up for Suite 101 which you can see here. Ironically, it's about the best way to start your day off calm and relaxed. Which wasn't the way my morning progressed but there we are.

Apart from all that, what I wanted to talk about today was music. Do you find that music inspires your writing? Do you need music to write, or do you find it a distraction?

Photo Credit: MorgueFile

I have found that a certain song or type of music can have an influence on what I'm writing, and help get me 'in the mood' so to speak. The hero of my novel 'No Place Like Home', which is set mostly in Kansas, USA (and available from all good ebook retailers, including Amazon here) was a country music star, so it definitely helped to play some of that style of music when I wanted to get myself in the right frame of mind. For another novel I am writing, there's a particular Josh Groban song that resonates with me and my characters so I'll sometimes stick that on to play a couple of times before I start work on that project.

In an interview I read with Santa Montefiore, she said that she'll play the same song over and over again when she's working. That would drive me nuts but it does go to show how music can be linked to the whole creative process of writing for various people, at all stages of the success spectrum.

I certainly can't have music on when I am actually writing though, at least not any with words. I'm too tempted to sing along and that's kind of a distraction! Usually I just prefer it quiet or sometimes I'll pop on Classic FM. I can tune stuff out if I need to, in that I've written in cafe's and all the other cliched places us writers are supposed to work, and that's fine but there's something different about 'general' noise to pop tunes coming out of the speaker next to you I think. At least there is for me.

So what do you think? Are you able to work with music blaring? Do you need it blaring in order to be able to work productively? I'd love to know! Please leave me a comment below - and happy writing!

Is Blogging Writing?

One of the reasons I held off from taking up the blog I set up absolutely years ago was the worry that it would divert my concentration (something that can be quite easily done at times!) from 'real' writing. Of course, now I wish I had just got on with it, but there we are.

So, my question is, is blogging 'really' writing? Does writing something that doesn't come under a specific heading of a novel/article/non fiction, etc still count as writing? Am I helping to hone my craft by getting words onto a 'page', or am I just procrastinating and wasting time when I could be working on said novel/article/non fiction?

Photo courtesy of MorgueFile

Personally, I've come to the conclusion that blogging is writing. It keeps the fingers and brain in training for getting the words out and makes me think about other aspects of writing, not just the narrow focus of the particular piece I'm working on at the time.

I'd be interested to know what anyone else thinks about the subject! Feel free to leave me a comment below.