Yep. After seven years, Authonomy, a writer's community run by Harper Collins, is shutting down. But why? Well, before I give my personal opinion on this, let me start by telling you my experience with Authonomy. When I joined Authonomy, all that changed. Within a few days of uploading my work in progress, I was receiving lots of critique, the good, bad and the ugly. Authonomy became almost like a second home. I made a ton of friends, not just people to talk to about writing, but also people who put a lot of time and effort into helping me make my manuscript what it is today. Let me tell you, when I first uploaded my manuscript, it was awful. (I didn't think it was at the time) But it truly was. Over the two years I spent on Authonomy, I re-wrote my novel more times than I care to remember, I learned how to cut back on my wordiness, fixed my bad grammar, and so on. I was amazed by all there was to learn. I was also amazed by the support in the community. When I joined, that's what Authonomy was about. Being part of the community. Helping each other. We were all in the same boat - writers trying to become better and hoping one day to reach that goal of publication.
BUT, this isn't the reason so many people left. I think a lot of people, including myself, had been thinking about retiring their accounts for a while, and the launch of the new website was the final decision making factor. I remember when they first revealed the layout for the new website. Straight away, I thought, I don't like it. It was too 'professional' looking. It completely lost the community feel that the old layout had. And, along with the new layout came all the confusion, the glitches, and having to start all over again. When I say start all over again, I mean literally. A lot of people who had spent years, including myself, putting in a lot of hard work to get their book noticed in the ranks, suddenly found their book back to square one. I think this was enough to make people think 'sod it' and they left. But, why were people leaving prior to this? Or thinking of leaving? I think I have the answer - it's because Authonomy wasn't a community anymore. Authonomy had become a place of competiveness, a place where people would do anything to try and get their book up in the ranks to make the editors desk. Of course, a bit of competing is healthy. We all want the big time. But that became all it was about It wasn't about connecting with other writers anymore, or helping each other out. It became a 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' kind of attitude. Happy Monday! It's time for another interview. This week, I've had the pleasure of talking with Mr Tommy Donbavand. Tommy is an award winning children's author, most popular for his series 'Scream Street'. As well as being an author, he is also a scriptwriter and a creative writing tutor. Hi, Tommy, welcome to writers spill. Thank you for joining me. Would you mind telling our readers a little bit about yourself, and how many books have you had published to date? I’m 47, married with two sons and have been writing full time for almost nine years now. In that time, I’ve written 82 books (I finished the first draft of the latest this morning!) Of those, 71 have been published so far, with more out next year. Out of those seventy-one books, what was the easiest and hardest to write? Books in my Scream Street series are among the most enjoyable to write as I know the characters so well. I wrote a non-fiction book for teachers about incorporating drama into the classroom which was hard! What was your day job before you became an author? Possibly the only thing even more precarious - I was an actor. I spent eight years in the West End musical, Buddy - and many years writing for and appearing in regional children’s theatre. Sounds like a good day job to me :) When did you decide to turn your talent for writing into a career? Although I’d been writing for many years, I finally quit the day job on the day my younger son was born! I knew I had to go for it, or I never would. Thankfully, my wife has been behind me all the way. Do you have a daily writing schedule? I drop my kids off at school - then get to work. I always end up working into the evenings as well. That’s what happens when you’re self-employed and responsible for your own business And do you write everyday? Yes, seven days a week. Just as well I love my job! As well as books, I also write comic strips for Doctor Who Adventures magazine, and I write the adventures of The Bash Street Kids in The Beano each week. If you write every day, I take it you're not one to wait for inspiration to come knocking? You can’t wait - or you’d never get anything written. I make sure I know what to write when I sit down each day. I aim for between 1,500 and 3,000 words per day. When I’m facing a deadline, I double that to 6,000 words per day. It’s not something I can do every day, but it helps if time is tight. What do you find is the easiest, and hardest thing about writing? For me, keeping on top of the business side of things - invoicing, emails, etc. I visit around 60 schools a year to teach creative writing, and that side of the job takes up a lot of time. I’m also writer-in-residence at a local primary school and patron of reading at a secondary school. Wow. That's a lot of schools! Keeps you busy, I bet. With all that going on, how long does it take you to finish the first draft of a manuscript? It depends on the length - anywhere between a week and three months. I write a lot of shorter books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers which take a lot of planning, but the first drafts are written quite quickly. And do you think your writing has evolved creatively since your first manuscript? My first children’s book was dreadful! It did, however, get me a meeting with an agent who asked if I had anything else in the pipeline. That new project became Scream Street. Do you ever get writer's block? I get days where the work is harder than others, but I try not to get blocked. That usually means I don’t know enough about the story or my characters. To beat writer's block - buy my ebook: 13 Steps To Beating Writer’s Block ;) http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00TWVA6TS Are you currently working on any new material? My Scream Street books are currently in production as a TV series, launching on CBBC this Autumn. At the moment, I’m writing a handful of TV tie-in novels - which are great fun, but odd at the same time. I’m novelising other writers’ stories about my characters! That's fantastic :) Do you do any research before writing a new novel? I immerse myself as much as possible in the topic I’m writing about. So, if I’m writing about zombies - I read zombie stories and watch zombie movies. I have a lot of nightmares. I bet! Do you think writers are their own worst critiques? You have to let your work be read. If you keep fussing over it and never let it out, you’ll keep it on your hard drive forever. Stories are meant to have readers, or they quickly go stale. Who is your favourite author, or favourite book? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Danny, The Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. Do you have any interests outside of writing? I’m vaguely aware of three other people living in the house with me. They seem pleasant enough, and I occasionally agree to spend time with them. Oh, and I watch a LOT of Doctor Who. Where do you see yourself in five years time? Probably still driving my sons everywhere, and still writing. What advice would you give to your younger self? Learn to type! I’ve written 82 books using two fingers, dammit! What advice would you give to aspiring authors who think they are ready to submit their manuscript to an agent? Do it. Don’t worry about rejection. Everyone gets rejected. I have two filing cabinets full of rejection letters, even from my current publisher. Never give up. If you could give only one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be? Write as many stories as you can. You’ll get better with each one. Now, could you spill me one of your most embarrassing moments? I once broke my foot, live on stage in front of 1,500 people and had to carry on - in agony - until the end of the show. **** That was Tommy Donbavand, author, scriptwriter and creative writing tutor (And actor) A busy, busy man by the sounds of it! If you would like to learn more about Tommy, or contact him, he can be found through the links below! To visit Tommy's website, click here. For Twitter, it's @tommydonabvand For Tommy's Facebook page, click here. It's Monday - that time of the week where I get to interview a fellow author. But this week is special for me, because today I have the pleasure of introducing one of my favourite, bestselling crime authors, Elizabeth Haynes. Elizabeth, welcome to Writers Spill. Thank you for taking the time to speak to me today. Thank you for inviting me! Firstly, would you mind telling our readers a little bit about yourself as an author, and how many books you have written and had published to date? I've been writing for fun my whole life, but it's only in the last few years' that it's become my career. My first published book was Into the Darkest Corner, which has been really successful. After that came two further standalone thrillers, Revenge of the Tide (Dark Tide in the US and Canada) and Human Remains. The most recent two are the start of a police procedural series: Under a Silent Moon and Behind Closed Doors, which was released this year. Wow, that's a great achievement. What was the easiest, and hardest book to write? That's a really tricky question. They've all been so different! And yet the process is always the same - the first draft is usually good fun to write, then the editing is where the work really starts. There's usually a point where I wish I'd never started, where I think it's pointless, that nobody's going to want to read it, and my husband has to remind me that I go through this every time. It would make sense to say that Revenge of the Tide was the hardest to write, because it came after the success of Into the Darkest Corner, but in fact I'd already finished working on it before that happened, so the pressure wasn't as bad as it could have been. That said, I did accidently kill off the wrong person. I had to do a complete rewrite when I realised the corpse was the most interesting character. Oh, no! Luckily I haven't had to experience those sneaky plot holes yet. I'm sure one will catch me out one day. Could I ask when you first decided to turn your writing talent into a career? It was when I was at the point of changing publishers - the series books are published by Sphere - and I realised that because of the deadlines I was going to have to work on two books at the same time. Coincidentally, there were going to be redundancies, so I took a career break for two years. When that came to an end, there were no jobs available so I had to resign. What was your day job before you became an author? I worked as an intelligence analyst for the police - a real gift of a job for a writer, not just in terms of research. Analysts are under-represented in the world of detective fiction, something I'm trying to address. Annabel in Human Remains and Jason in the series books are both analysts. That sounds like a fascinating job, and one that's helped you create certain characters in your stories. Could you give us an insight into what your daily schedule is when it comes to writing? I don't have one! I'm pretty useless. The only time I can get my head down and concentrate properly is when I have a deadline. I always write my first drafts in November for National Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and even then I'm pretty haphazard. I'll have good days where I can't write at all. Do you write everyday? I wish I did! I am horribly disorganised and very good at procrastinating. I do keep a journal but I've been very bad at writing there, too. Good to know I'm not the only one who is disorganized :) My next question is about inspiration, considering I did a blog post a few weeks on the topic, it would be nice to have a published authors view on this subject. Do you wait for inspiration to come knocking, or do you go looking for it? That's a very good question. I usually have a few ideas lined up for future books, so I'm never without a story to write. But if I get stuck once I've started, I have some tricks to get me going again. One of them is to tell someone all about my plot and the problems I'm having. I have some brilliant, patient friends who are very good at coming up with seemingly obvious solutions that have entirely eluded me. Another thing that helps is to work alongside someone else, in a sprint (ie, for a pre-arranged period of time), usually online. I don't know if it's my competitive steak or just fear of distracting someone who is on a roll, but If someone else is beavering away, it's somehow easier to get on with it. If I can't find anyone to work with, sometimes I'll just set my kitchen timer for 20 minutes and force myself to get on with it. I think it's easier to work in short bursts! What would you say is the easiest and hardest thing about writing? Writing something new, when the story is flowering, is easy - it's the best bit for me. Going back over and editing is the hardest thing. I know what's going to happen by then, so I find it quite boring and that's not good! It's very difficult for me to see what's wrong with a story, so I need a lot of editorial steer. Other authors are good at self-editing and they only need two or three passes with an editor before they are signed off. It takes me many, many drafts to get to that stage - probably as much as nine or ten. I'm glad you've said that. I did a blog post a few weeks back about internet trolls who berate other authors for making a simple spelling or grammar mistake. My main point was that all published authors need some kind of editorial help. There's the proof in the pudding! :) You said it takes you many drafts to get to that stage, so how long on average does it take you to finish the first draft of a novel? I usually manage to finish the first draft around Christmas/New Year, and that will be around 80-90,000 words - so about eight weeks. Wow! It takes me a lot longer :) Do you think your writing has evolved creatively since your first manuscript? I hope so. I do take note of things people mention in reviews and I find things that annoy me in other peoples' writing, and make sure I don't fall into the same trap. Shrugging, for example, and sighing - in my first book, people were shrugging and sighing all the time. How often do you actually see someone do that? I also try to experiment with structure. I get bored very easily, so with every new book I'm actively trying to do things differently. That's good :) Do you ever get writer's block? I never experienced writer's block until quite recently. I've just moved house, and my writing space (a shed) was dismantled back in April - I think not having a desk was part of it, and being generally busy packing didn't help, but I also suffered a big crisis of confidence this year and found myself wondering whether I'd be able to write anything worth publishing again. It's hard enough to write without your subconscious telling you not to bother. I'm not sure I've got a solution yet, but I think it has a lot do to with remembering that writing isn't something I do. It's who I am. I wrote for most of my life with no thoughts of publication, there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to go back to that and build up my confidence again. Also, I have my desk back now.... I'm glad you have your desk back! :) I often suffer with the same 'why are you bothering' kind of thoughts, and what you've said is very true, and quite inspiring! Could you tell me if you're currently working on anything at the moment? If so, could you tell us a little bit about it, or are you keeping your work in progress under-wraps? I have two; firstly, I'm doing a bit of planning and research for a new series book I'm going to write this November, and once that's done I'll get to work on the edits for the standalone novel I wrote last November. I don't believe in keeping things under wraps, I get excited taking about my plots which helps keep me going, but in reality things change so much during the editing process that they usually end up being totally different. You mentioned you're doing some research. Do you do a lot of researching before you begin a new novel? I don't do a lot because I never really know what I'll need when I start. I will do enough research to not get stuck on the basics, if the subject is one I'm unfamiliar with. If I come across something that I'll need to check later, I will make a note of it - and if I find that a crucial plot point hinges on something I don't know or am not absolutely sure of, I'll go off and check before I continue writing. Then I'll do some more in-depth research before the edits, specifically around the details I've added in the first draft. Do you think the saying, 'we are our own worse critiques' is true when it comes to writing? I think I'd say we are our own worse enemies, which is a little different. I'm never any good at critiquing my own work; I know if it doesn't sound right, but I have no way of identifying what's wrong with it. But when it comes to self-doubt, self-sabotage, procrastination and generally standing in my own way - I'm definitely an expert in that. You're not alone there! Do you have a favourite author, or favourite book? Crikey, that's a big question. I'm a big fan of John Harvey's Resnick books, and Nicci French's standalone thrillers. I do have an enduring love of poetry too - I love Eliot and Rilke especially. Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of writing? We've just moved to a house with a bigger garden, so I can see that's going to take up quite a lot of my time. We have a Spanish rescue dog so there's lots of walking going on, too. All of those activities sound too noble so I'll balance it by saying what I'd really like to do is sit on a sun lounger with a book. Where do you see yourself in five years' time? Well, I certainly hope I'll be in the same house, because I don't want to go through another house move for a very long time! I can't think beyond that. Five years feels like a long way off, but I'm sure it will be here before you know it. I'd like to learn how to knit. And what advice would you give to your younger self? It's a quote from AA Milne: 'You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think." Fantastic! I love that quote. (I'm a self-confessed Winne the Pooh addict) :) What advice would you give to aspiring authors who think they are ready to submit their manuscript to an agent? Do it! What are you waiting for? If you don't do it now, when are you going to do it? The world is waiting for your novel! All of that aside, I would hope you've finished it, edited it at least once, you've got a beginning, middle and end, some good characters, some believable dialogue, that you've proof-read it for spelling and grammar, and that you've had two or three people read it all the way through. I wouldn't do any more than that before you start submitting, because if it's accepted, you're going to have to do a whole load more work on it anyway. I'd also hope you'd researched your agents well and written a killer synopsis and covering letter. You can do that. No biggie. Some very good advice :) But what if you could only give one piece of advice to an aspiring author. What would it be? Don't stand in your own way. Fab :) Now, could you spill me one of your most embarrassing moments?" My very first author event was at a big library, with lots of other authors doing talks throughout the day. Although my event wasn't until 4pm, I was so excited I was there from the very start to listen in. I sat in the audience when the organiser was giving the welcome and introduction, and clearly I wasn't paying attention, because when he said "right, let's get some authors on the stage, shall we?" I got up along with two authors who were giving the first session and sat next to them on the stage. After about five minutes, during which they carried on with their talk and everyone politely ignored me, I got up and mumbled 'I'll just go and sit down there...." Mortifying. I have to admit...I would have died. That really is mortifying! :D Elizabeth, thank you ever so much for joining me today. It's been a pleasure. Good luck with your newest projects! Thank you for your great questions. Good luck to everyone else who's writing right now. Let me know how you're getting on and if you need a bit of a prod! ******* Well, there you have it. That was my interview with the lovely Elizabeth Haynes. I really enjoyed it, and I think she gave some great little tips for us aspiring lot :) Below are the links to Elizabeth's social media platforms if anyone would like to contact her. There's also a link to her website, where you can discover more about Elizabeth and her novels. I've also put a link for National Writing Month, (NaNoWriMo) for those of you that are interested in taking part this November. Another big thank you to Elizabeth, and also thanks to everyone for reading, I appreciate it. Leave any comments down below! Until next time.... Click here to visit Elizabeth on Facebook. For twitter, it's @Elizjhaynes And for her website, click here. Click here if you are interested in taking part, or want to know more about NaNoWriMo. Wow. What a hectic past week. There was no interview Monday, as you may have noticed, but I really haven't had a second to do anything this week. However, I have a few great interviews lined up for the coming weeks :) So, in the meantime, I thought I would discuss a topic I've been thinking about the last couple of days, especially since I went from writing chapter after chapter for my work in progress, to a complete dead end - staring at the page. Good old writer's block. Or is it? What is writer's block, anyway? If we go off what WIKIPEDIA tells us, writer's block is a condition (Yes, a condition!) primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work or experiences creative slowdown. So, what do you think of this definition? First of all, I wouldn't classify it as a 'condition'. I mean, let's be serious, can you imagine if you're a published author with deadlines, and you hand in a sick note due to writer's block? No, I don't think that would work, either. To me, writer's block is just that. It's a mental block, where, for whatever reason, our creative juices stop flowing. Either way you look at it, as a condition or not, I want to know what you guys think is the 'cure', so to speak. Take a look at the two images above. What do you agree with? I've seen many discussions on this, and in my opinion, I think BOTH are true. Well, not so much the first image, I don't believe that 'waiting' for inspiration means you are not a writer. It just means what it says, you're taking a break and waiting for inspiration to find you. And that's okay. Of course, at times, it's good to go looking for the inspiration you need (especially if you have a deadline) but at the same time, it's also good to be patient with yourself. To me, there's nothing worse than forcing inspiration. I've tried this many of times, and I find that the writing sounds forced. Nothing flows like it should. After all, if you're forcing something it's going to sound or read forced, and you don't want readers to feel that. You want your readers to feel what you were feeling at the time of writing. You want that emotion to spill off the page and into the reader. You want them to laugh. Cry. Cringe. Gawp. Feel everything. Not just read it and experience nothing.
But what if, for instance, you do have a deadline, or you're going through a serious bout of writer's block, even when you want to write? Well, fear not! I've decided to create a list of the things I could think of that may help anyone who is stuck behind that brick wall. If being patient hasn't worked for you, maybe it is time to go chasing that inspiration (look for it, don't force it) Think outside of the box. Sometimes inspiration can arise from things you wouldn't think of. 1) Books. Yes. Books. Reading. Read until your eyes bleed. Or water. Seriously, take a break from your own writing and get submerged into a novel, or beta-read a fellow authors work in progress. I think this really helps to get that creative river running. There is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from other authors, (obviously, don't plagiarize) But sometimes we can take little snippets from novels, weather it be a theme through the book, a certain attribute of a character, a setting, etc, and then branch our own ideas on top of that. Try reading a different genre to what you normally read. Analyze the writing whilst you read. I literally sit with a notebook when I read, and jot down any ideas that spring to mind (and also the odd words here and there I spot and think, 'I'm sealing that word!' ) 2) Magazines and newspapers. These are a fantastic means to find inspiration. Have you ever come across those magazines that have people telling their life stories? Those are great to pick up on ideas and even characters. Same with newspapers - you will come across all sorts of articles, from murder investigations to cheating husbands....you get the drift. 3) TV Of course, TV, movies, the news, series...all these things can spark some great inspiration. And as with books, don't just stick to the same genre's. Watch everything from 'Sex and the City, to Prison break. (Imagine these two shows as one? Ha!) Don't just concentrate on the characters, concentrate on everything from the camera angles, to scenery, to the dialogue. Sometimes the simplest line spoken by a character can trigger off an entirely different story in your mind. 4) Friends and Family. If you're going to take more than inspiration and write about someone's life, make sure you ask the person if it's okay first. But it's always good to pay close attention when listening to your friends and family, and what hard times, or good times they're going through. You can take ideas, or, like I said, even ask the person if you could write about them. 5) Day to day dialogue Okay, what I meant was eavesdropping. As long as you're not invading someones privacy, it's always good to fine tune your ears to what people are discussing around you. Ever been in a coffee shop or a restaurant and overheard people taking about something funny, embarrassing, or sad? You might just hear someone talk about an experience they had and think to yourself, 'that is something my main character would do'. And don't just do this in coffee shops, do it everywhere - walking down the street, in a supermarket...everywhere. Always listen. Music: This is a big one for me. Music has been the inspiration for many of my stories. For example, Slipknot's 'Prosthetics' is the song that gave me the idea for my short story, 'Can you see me?' which will be published around Halloween time in an anthology..And it's not just the lyrics that can set of an idea - use your ears, not only to listen to the vocals, but to hear the music. Sometimes just a tune can create a scene in your mind. Writing, or book groups: I've put this one here because I'm part of a (clinically insane) writing group 'Write n Rant'. We talk about the most bizarre of things sometimes, it's like the Mad Hatters Tea Party, and I can see how people would be able to get inspired, not only by discussions, but just by talking with other writers. I've had many fellow authors give me the starting point to great ideas. Book groups can be equally as inspiring, especially when people discuss parts of a novel they didn't like and how they believe it could have been better, or what parts were great. It's good to mingle with people who read the genre you write in to understand what they want as readers. Blogs; Just like this one, which I hope is inspiring someone right now to go and try some of these things out :) Get Google at the ready and search for writer's blogs. Most of them are filled with lots of tips and great advice. Actually, don't just Google writer's blogs, Google all kinds of blogs! Get inspired by peoples daily life ramblings! Chill time: Uh-huh. Chill time. Whatever it is you do in your free time: going for a walk in nature, exercising, sipping wine in the bath. Sometimes, these are the moments when the greatest of ideas hit you. This is where the 'be patient' side of writers block rings true. You could be doing absolutely nothing, and something marvelous will hit you. So go ahead and relax, you never now what your mind will create. Dreams: This is also a good one for me. For example, I had the craziest dream last night where I was on a revenge killing spree. I remember telling some random guy, whilst holding a knife to his jugular, 'You tore my family apart. No watch me tear yours apart." (I'm not a killer, I promise) But I wrote down what I could remember about that dream straight away. Never know when a revenge killing spree might come in handy. So, don't just brush those crazy, weird dreams off. Use them to your advantage. Sometimes your subconscious could be writing your story while you sleep! Well, there all the things that came to mind, and some of the things that I use/do, when I'm struggling for inspiration. So go ahead and give it a try. You've got nothing to lose (just hours of sitting and staring at your PC or notebook) so why not try going after the inspiration yourself? If you've tired all these things and still cant manage to write, then maybe 'being patient' is all you can do. But don't beat yourself up about that. If you are a writer, what you need will come to you eventually. Don't ever give up or think that you can no longer write. That's just the easy road. Stay on that hard road, keep jumping those hurdles until you get where you want to be! I'd love to know people opinions on this. Do you agree that if you have to wait for inspiration, you aren't a writer? Do you believe the opposite, that patience is the way to inspiration? Or do you think both are equally as important when it comes to inspiration? Of course, if there's anything else you guys can think of, or can share what you do to kick start that inspiration, let me know in the comments below :) Until next time, keep writing, and SPILL those stories onto the page! So, I'm sure most of you have heard of the term, 'grammar police'. For those of you that haven't, it's pretty much a term used to describe those of us who like to 'pick at' and 'point out' any grammar and spelling mistakes we make when writing. I wanted to do a post on this because I've been discussing it in my head all night, and I want to know people's opinions on this matter. "Why have you been discussing this in your head?" you may ask. Well, it's because, for some reason, and I don't know whether it's something that has gotten worse in the past couple of months, but I've been seeing it more and more lately, mostly on blogs and social media platforms, and so on. My question is, why do you think, or why do you, if it's something you do yourself, do you feel the need to attack, or belittle someone else when they make a miniscule mistake in spelling and grammar? Okay, okay, so some of you may be thinking, well, why not? Especially if it is someone who is apparently offering help to writers, is a published author, a journalist, etc. Well, no, because, even editors make mistakes, right? And the amount of 'policing' going on is ridiculous. Example, I follow the Daily Mirror's page on Facebook. A few weeks back, they'd shared an article, and the journalist had miss-spelt a word. I don't remember the exact word they had miss-spelt, but I did notice it straight away myself. I looked at the comments below, and I'm sure my eyes looked like a pair of flying saucers. Now, this article was about an awful incident where a few people had lost their lives, and I'd say at least 40 percent of the comments were targeted at the journalist, and the Daily Mirror as a company, for misspelling a word. Some people were even throwing abuse in there, not once giving any comment on the actual subject. How does one miss-spelt word affect the entire credibility of a company? How does it take away from the seriousness of a subject? Yes, perhaps if the whole article was miss-spelt and grammatically incorrect all over the place, then, maybe someone would have a point. But one spelling mistake? And, even though one person had already pointed it out, and others could clearly see that, people still continued to point it out. The best part about reading those comments was, at least one in every ten of the replies that were condemning and belittling the journalist of the article, couldn't manage to spell correctly themselves. Which brings me to my first point: If you're going to criticize someone else for using bad spelling, grammar or punctuation, at least have the common sense to make sure yours is flawless! You don't see an author like J.K Rowling attacking her Twitter followers for spelling a word incorrectly. Because, you know, she's probably far too busy writing, and she probably looks at it as what it is, a typo. That's all it is people, a typo. It doesn't mean that person should lose all credibility as a writer! This is why authors have editors. No one's perfect. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying ALL people who comment on a post to point out an error are 'grammar police' or 'trolling'. If someone was to post on my blog and say, 'Hey, Stacey, just thought I'd let you know, in case you haven't noticed, you've spelt this word wrong.' Then that's cool. Awesome. Thanks for spotting that and letting me know. Those sorts of people I'm grateful for. Because even with my own novels, I read and re-read and never spot typos others seem to catch. It's the ones who are arrogant, and purposely try to belittle and chastise others for making such a small error. You know, the ones who say things like 'Excuse me, but you're calling yourself a writer, and you've spelt this word wrong' and then go on to tell you how you're going to lose credibility, and that no one is going to take you or your article/blog/book seriously when you make errors. (And I bet you, nine times out of ten, if you go ahead and look at this persons Facebook page, for example, they will have typos here there and everywhere) Because most of the time, the ones doing the trolling are far from perfect themselves. So, please, if you're a writer, a blogger, a journalist etc, don't take these troll's comments to heart. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone types a little too fast for their own good sometimes. Everyone reads and re-reads and still misses little things here and there. As I said before, this is why writers have editors and beta-readers. Do you think all these best selling authors submit their manuscripts with absolutely no errors? No. Not at all. Of course, if your posting a blog, submitting a manuscript or writing an article, do try your best to spot what errors you can and fix them up. But don't beat yourself up, or let others beat you down over a few mistakes. All you have to do is concentrate on what you're doing - concentrate on your writing and making it the best it can be - don't let trolls turn you into a perfectionist who wastes more time trying to make something flawless than concentrating on getting your work out there! There is no such thing as perfection. Someone is always going to find something wrong. What one person views as a brilliant piece of work, another will view as rubbish. Typos slip in! Grammatical and punctuational errors slip in! Hell, I'm looking back up my screen as I type this and there's red lines everywhere! Yes, because I'm typing fast. And even after fixing what I notice, there's probably still going to be something I've missed. But that's OKAY. It's not the end of the world. If an agent liked your writing and loved your book, and was certain they could sell it to a publisher, do you think that agent would fob you off because you had a few typos? No. Again, that's why editors exist. Anyway, basic points of the blog : Grammar trolls are just that, trolls. Ignore them. Grammar trolls are not perfect - they also make mistakes. They are self-important and have a stinky attitude that belongs in the bin. So, please, if you really feel the need to point out an error, say it nicely. Do so because you want to help the person, not berate them. If you are one of those people who like to belittle others, then, what can I say? You mustn't value your time. I mean, surely you could be using your time more efficiently, especially if you call yourself a writer. What do you guys think? Keep writing, and never give up :) It's Monday! And the first interview for the series, Get the Spill on! I've posted this a little later than I would have liked, but, it's been one of those days today where time has been scarce. Anyway, enough of my rambling, because today I have the pleasure of introducing our first ever interviewee, fellow author, Tabatha Stirling, AKA, Alex Mitchell. Tabitha! Welcome to Writers Spill. How are you today? Hello, Stacey. I feel very honoured to be your first interviewee. I am feeling pretty chipper, underlined by the bone-tired hysteria that comes with having a newborn :) Let me tell you, I know the feeling! Keeping you awake all night? Yes, but worth every minute. Oh! Those smiles =) She's going into a nunnery when she's twelve and won't come out until thirty-six! Ha! Well, congratulations on your bundle of joy. First of all, tell me, who is Tabatha Stirling, and who is Alex Mitchell? Tabatha Stirling is a fly by the seat of her silk pants, there's a deadline? What deadline? sort of girl. Alex Mitchell pretends otherwise. Could you tell our readers a bit more about yourself? Ah! The loaded question. How much do I tell before I frighten them all off? Should I speak about the snake act in Amsterdam? Should I talk about my time with the M15? The expulsion from Canada in the 90's? Some of that is actually true. However, I was brought up in the South of England boarding school, and the Cayman Islands. My father was Naval and adulterous. My mother beautiful and neurotic. I've a very torrid history. It reads like a Greek Tragedy. Three Acts of madness, death and a few comics aside. Wow! That all sounds very intriguing, to say the least! I wasn't going to bring up the snake act in Amsterdam, but, I'm curious...care to elaborate? Ha Ha! That is not quite as true as the other stuff :D Damn! Well, it could make for a good story one day! Speaking of stories, could you tell us a bit more about yourself as an author? I've been writing stories before I could actually write. I would just make them up in my head. It's all I've ever wanted to do. And it is my talent. I had a very unsupportive family so I've had to fight for my own self-doubt and negative belief for a long time. When I met my husband, who is a very talented actor and director, he read some of my stuff and asked me a question....can you give up writing? If not, then commit to it. Because you are good enough. But you have to commit. So, I committed and my writing and my confidence have both improved. I love being a writer but I find the actual writing part very hard. I have the attention span of a water rat called Poot, and get distracted very easily....Look! Bees!....That sort of thing. I break into the Charleston when confused and often hear white noise in my head when discussing money matters. But, I can't give up. I think about writing constantly. And I have tens of ideas daily. So, I just have to be a big girl about it and tie myself to the chair. That's a shame about your family, but your husband sounds very supportive. It's always good to have the support of a spouse. And I wouldn't worry about the attention span. It's my belief that most writers suffer with this, myself included! But, you have the right attitude, which is always a positive, even if it does mean tying yourself to a chair and dealing with the attention span of a water rat called Poot! :) Could you tell us when you first started taking writing seriously, and what was the first manuscript you completed? The first manuscript was my novella, Three Months of Chaos, which is a sort-of memoir about my time in a squat, copious amounts of drugs and trying to be beautiful at a very ugly time. I have also written Blood On The Banana Leaf, a fictional account of modern day slavery in Singapore, but that is in the final editing stages. I have always taken writing seriously. I always knew I was a writer even after rejections. But, I think the seminal point was when I was shortlisted for the BBC Talent sitcom script competition. That really boosted my confidence. Wow. That's a fantastic achievement. Well done! "Blush blush* Thank you :) Now, would you be so very kind to share with us any published pieces you have? And tell us a bit about them. Well, I have quite a bit of flash fiction, poetry and short stories that have been published in literary mags this year and last. As far as longer projects - I'm still unsure whether to go for traditional publishers or self-publish. Self-publishing is so different now and is losing its rather dodgy image. Thankfully. The wisht and the hoo of it is that I am finishing off my supernatural fantasy novel, Botanical Malice, first, because I think that seems to be what publishers are screaming for. A fantasy trilogy with a strong female lead (whatever that is) that can be made into a film. Think. Hunger Games. And I'm really loving writing it. Such fun. Wow. That sounds interesting. Would you be able to share a bit more of the story line? Or are you keeping that under wraps for now? Well, it's nothing like the Hunger Games for starters :) I've a fascination with botanical things. Flowers can be so beautiful, so cruel and so deadly. Very like people, actually. I was walking in the country with a friend a few years ago and we saw these huge nettles, thistles and some monstrous ivy. I began to think about botanical assassins and my three botanical golems were born. Every character in the story has a flower in their name and each has a specific meaning. Rue Macarbre is my MC. Rue means protection and Macarbre is a play on macabre and arbre - which, is French for tree. The Mac is because the first book is set in Edinburgh, Scotland. The second book is set in Botanika, the flora hell dimension and the third....I have absolutely no idea yet :D Sounds brill! A very unique concept. Thank you. I'm not sure there is anything out there like Botanical Malice. I loved doing the cover, as well. I may have to agree with you there. I haven't come across anything similar! And I'm glad you brought up the cover, because that leads me to my next question. You also design book covers, is that correct? Yes! I love it. I find it much easier than writing and can focus for much longer - hours, actually. I studied fine art and English for my first degree and specialised in stained glass. I love design and colour. I have a real colour fetish. And a font fetish. Don't get me started on fonts and typography. I'm a total geek. Will just go on and on and on :) I design free covers for members of my writers group, 'Write and Rant'. Probably my favourite group chock full of madness, lots of support and some very talented writers. You can nip to tabathadesign.tumblr.com to see more of my designs. I've just finished the first design for an anthology that I'm part of. 'Gifts From The Dark'. A very eclectic sheaf of the noir, the horrific, the dreadful and the plain Eeeeeeeek! It comes out in October, I believe. I'm very much looking forward to the Anthology, and will be doing a blog post on it as soon as it's out, seen as though I am part of that lovely group of madness! Another question on the book covers, is it just members of the writing group you design for, or do you offer a paid/free service to other authors that may require your talents? I'll design for anybody, but I offer free for people I know. Once I have an idea the actual cover design for an eBook cover takes about 2 days. A print cover maybe 3-4. If I don't know you (or we haven't been introduced) then it's 50 quid for an eBook cover and 70 for a print cover. I can't find the pounds sign on my American laptop :D I find real joy in creating cover images. That's why I do so much for free. That, and I'm a complete pushover. That's very kind of you, pushover or no pushover! Let's rewind to the writing, though. Could you share what ambitions you have for your career as an author? Honestly, I want it all. I want a three-book deal, film rights to be bought, TV interviews, fame, the works. I never thought I did, in fact, I didn't for a long time but now with an increasing family and security becoming a must - then yes. I'm going for the Big Time :) But, considering I've been writing for 20 years without the Big Time, I think it's safe to say that I write because I love it, because I have to, because God! Help humanity if I don't! :) Keep on writing and one day you might just hit the Big Time! I will be rooting for you! Are there any authors, or novels in-particular that inspire you? This is the question I dread. I am a book doxy. I accommodate most of them for cheap, anywhere I can. I adore reading. I am a voracious reader, a avaricious reader, a "I'll make it worth your while" reader. I'm a bed reader, a train reader, a "rocking the baby to sleep" reader. I only recently (8 years ago) got into fantasy. I've now read Songs of Fire and Ice, the whole series, twice. I admire and love to bits, Joe Abercrombie, Patrick Rothfuss, Peter V Brett, Vitoria Schwab. From liteary fiction I have read and re-read Somerset Maugham, Simone de Beauvoir, Lesley Glaister, Jean Rhys, Doris Lessing, Paul Theroux, Hemmingway. And dark crime fiction, which I LOVE, Denise Mina, Stuart McBride, early Val Macdermid. Honestly, this is the toughest question ever. I have so many great loves in literature. I forgot Dumas and Ford Maddox Ford, E.M Forster....I'm getting anxious now :D That's a broad range of literature! Although, I'm the same. There is no stand alone book or author for me. So, besides writing, reading, designing book covers and being a mother, do you have any other hobbies or interests? Yes. I'm a gamer. I used to have my own guild on World of Warcraft, but recently prefer the stately and zen pace of Minecraft and Skyrim on the Xbox 360. I hardly get any time though with the baby. Oh! I'm also a baker. I bake my own bread, biscuits, shortbread, and sell cupcakes to the café down the road. I love baths and recently become possessive and clingy about sleep :) Also, I never say no to a bloody good burgundy, red or white, or an icy and unforgiving gin martini. 2 olives, shaken. Damn, I've had some naughty times filled with too many of those. Ha ha! You'll have to bake me a cake some day. And I have a smile on my face because I play World of Warcraft. Now, before I start asking what levels your characters are, I better ask a question to do with writing! How do you handle the dreaded writers block? I don't get writers block. I get "Tabatha is being a lazy sod" block. The only time I can't write is when I'm having a depressive episode. These really floor me. Can't do anything then really except the basics. Gah! Ugh, don't you hate that? Speaking of hate, what do you think is the hardest part of writing? About 40 pages in, when the initial euphoria has worn off and the hard slog of the middle part has started. That's when Facebook comes in really useful. NOT :) The other part is trying to find the time as a mother. You can be a great mother and slow writer or an absent mother or a prolific writer, but I don't believe you can do both. Let me be more specific. I can't. Being a present mother is more important. Probably because my own was always locking her door for days at a time. I guess we learn from our childhoods. I know how that is. Time is scarce as a parent. And....what is the easiest part of writing? The title. It's odd for me, but when I've finished something written, long or short, i completely lose ownership of it. It's as if somebody else wrote it and i had nothing to do with it *lose* Why do you think that happens? It's your story. You own it! I think, once it's out - it's out. I can't remember much of it. Can't ever quote anything at all. I re-read stuff and think "I wrote that? Wow! It's quite good, or, OMG, that's bloody atrocious'. I get bored easily and once something is finished - it's on to the next thing. I'm not a great detail person. But I'm a great ideas person :) But I think it's good to be that way. Better than staying forever stuck on one story, unable to move on from it! Back to Botanical Malice, what celebrity would you want to see playing your MC and why? Blimey. You've actually stumped me. I have not thought about that at all. Let's see. " goes to internet* Haha! No pressure, we can move onto the next question while you think of that one! What advice would you give to your younger self? DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER. You are not mediocre. You are, in fact, incredible And while we're on the topic of advice, do you have any for budding authors? Well, I think that if you write - you are a writer. So all aspiring authors, budding writers and the like, you are writers. So hold the dream, feel the words, dance the creative and do it. In secret, in bars, in the bathroom, while baking. Everywhere. It is definitely a craft and onerous as it may sound, you do get better with practice. A note on rejections, by individual or industry - they hurt like hell, they do feel personal and i have a skin the thinness of a gauzy water nymph. So, feel the sting, nurse those wounds, eat a lot of chocolate, drown yourself in rum, join a band of pirates, go-go dance in a club and then sit down and write some more. That was truly inspiring as well as humorous :) :D Now, spill me one of your most embarrassing moments. You want a soft one or a hard one? As hard as you like....spill it! Being interrupted by security whilst having a rather boisterous liaison on the Directors Boardroom table at Saatchi HQ :) Haha! Brilliant. You've set the bar high with that one. That's not even the MOST embarrassing. Well, you can spill the most embarrassing when I'm interviewing you about your best selling novel, deal? Deal :) Great! Tabatha, thank you very much for joining me on the Writers Spill, It's been a pleasure. I have had the most wonderful time. Thank you, Stacey. And good luck with the new blog. I have a feeling it's going to go very well. That was Tabatha Stirling, AKA, Alex Mitchell! I hope you all enjoyed the blog. Next week, I will be interviewing a bestselling crime author. So, tune in next Monday for that! If you would like to know more about Tabatha Stirling, or to contact her, see the links below. For her flash fiction, click here For book cover designs, click here She can also be found here, at Goodreads. Yep, you read it.
Every week, I will be interviewing someone. Who will those someones be? Well, it could be anyone, from an author, to an editor, to a journalist, and so on. I already have a few influential people lined up, but I'll keep that spillage to myself for now :) The interviews will be posted every Monday....and, as the title says, the series will be called 'Get the spill on.... I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope you all are, too! This Monday will be an interview with a very special lady, who, as well as an Author, also designs book covers. So, tune in to Writers Spill on Mondays for you dose of spillage! Well, not so much of a spill, but an introduction.
Hi! I’m Stacey. I’m an author, and a mother to three lovely *ahem* little boys. I spend too much time writing, daydreaming, and being a tickle monster (to the kids, of course) I could blab all day about being a mother, and a tickle monster, and maybe there might be a few “life” blogs on days when a girl really needs to rant, but mostly, this blog will be all about writing - most of it from my own perspective and things I’ve learned over the ten years I’ve been a “serious” writer, to tips, recommendations, reviews, and also interviews with other authors, and hopefully much more. So, a little more about me as a writer! I’ve always loved to write. Growing up with a dad who spent most of his evenings writing poems definitely rubbed off on me. He also wrote a novel and a screenplay, but, unfortunately he never bit the bullet and took his work any further than a hobby. So, there’s one thing I learned - if you’ve got a passion and a talent for something, then go ahead and bite that bullet, bite it damn hard, even if your teeth break! (Okay, not literally, but you get the idea) the main obstacle you face in your journey of writing is yourself - it’s true that we are our own worst critiques - so don’t stand in your way! I started taking writing seriously around the age of seventeen, when one of my closest friends, and fellow aspiring author, told me that my life could be a book. I didn’t think much of her comment at first, but then I though, damn it, she’s right. My life could be a book. So, I opened my laptop and began writing. Eight years of writing on and off later, I finally finished my first manuscript. And some exciting things are happening now, but, what the heck, I’ll save all the talk about my own novel for another post :-) |
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I'm a twenty-something mother of three boys, and an aspiring author. This blog is all about my love for writing. You'll find everything from day in the life ramblings, to author interviews, tips, and more. CategoriesArchives |