That's the name of my new project, well a continuation of an old project really.
MGI - Make George Interesting.
I decided when we were in Krakow that I'm not ready to give up on BTL yet and as it seems that editors/agents that I have sent it to before are not keen on George saying that he doesn't really bring anything to the story I need to make George interesting (MGI).
I'm going to give myself another year, well 13 months actually (deadline 25/12/2013) to MGI.
That's the plan anyway.
Sunday, 25 November 2012
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Excuses excuses
Well only one actually - excuse that is.
The article that I am writing isn't finished yet because I've been doing my Christmas shopping - online of course because I can't be doing with those queues in the shops. Actually I don't know if there are queues because I haven't visited a shop for a Christmas gift. Oh I tell a lie, I made a trip into a nearby town to go to M&S to buy some of those non elastic top socks for my dad and the queue wasn't so bad there just 3 people in front of me.
You see, I work full time and my Sunday off is a family time which means a lie in, dog walk, roast lunch and a bubble bath. My day off during the week involves grocery shopping, ironing and usually a bit of baking. So who has time for Christmas shopping? - hence the time spent shopping online instead of finishing my article.
The good news is the shopping is pretty much done so I will have no excuse then.
The article that I am writing isn't finished yet because I've been doing my Christmas shopping - online of course because I can't be doing with those queues in the shops. Actually I don't know if there are queues because I haven't visited a shop for a Christmas gift. Oh I tell a lie, I made a trip into a nearby town to go to M&S to buy some of those non elastic top socks for my dad and the queue wasn't so bad there just 3 people in front of me.
You see, I work full time and my Sunday off is a family time which means a lie in, dog walk, roast lunch and a bubble bath. My day off during the week involves grocery shopping, ironing and usually a bit of baking. So who has time for Christmas shopping? - hence the time spent shopping online instead of finishing my article.
The good news is the shopping is pretty much done so I will have no excuse then.
Sunday, 18 November 2012
Granny who?
Well that was very confusing! Let me explain.
I have a copy of my mother's birth certificate and she is listed with the name "Unfrith," however when I received a copy of her (granny's) marriage certificate the other day, her surname is listed as "Humphrey." I asked my mother this morning what her mother's maiden name was and she said "Unfrith" - fair enough, I mean that's what it says on her (my mum's) birth certificate. So I asked her if her mother had lived in a certain street next door to her soon to be husband and my mum got a bit excited because they did. Turns out Granny was a "Humphrey" all the time so goodness only knows who the other person was. Actually although the names are totally different they do sound pretty similar so maybe the registrar misheard. I'm looking forward to showing my mother the copy of the certificate because I think she'll enjoy seeing it.
I have a copy of my mother's birth certificate and she is listed with the name "Unfrith," however when I received a copy of her (granny's) marriage certificate the other day, her surname is listed as "Humphrey." I asked my mother this morning what her mother's maiden name was and she said "Unfrith" - fair enough, I mean that's what it says on her (my mum's) birth certificate. So I asked her if her mother had lived in a certain street next door to her soon to be husband and my mum got a bit excited because they did. Turns out Granny was a "Humphrey" all the time so goodness only knows who the other person was. Actually although the names are totally different they do sound pretty similar so maybe the registrar misheard. I'm looking forward to showing my mother the copy of the certificate because I think she'll enjoy seeing it.
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Update
Happy to report that I have taken my own advice and started the article mentioned in the previous post. However after two paragraphs I have hit a stumbling block but that's good because it requires a bit of research an I love that. It'll have to wait until later though because I'm off to make soup.
I know the answer but...
You know when one project is finished and you've dispatched to whomever you hope will commission it or whatever what do you do next? Do you immediately start your next project? Do you give yourself a couple of days off to recuperate? Or do you do nothing?
I have to be honest I tend to fall into the third category, not all the time, but sometimes and now is one of those times. I have an article with an editor and I have a pitch with another but I have done sod all about the other article that I wanted to write.
So my question is how do you cure post project inertia (PPI if you will)? I know the answer of course it is to just get on and do it but I thought I would ask anyway.
Any excuse not to start the article eh!
I have to be honest I tend to fall into the third category, not all the time, but sometimes and now is one of those times. I have an article with an editor and I have a pitch with another but I have done sod all about the other article that I wanted to write.
So my question is how do you cure post project inertia (PPI if you will)? I know the answer of course it is to just get on and do it but I thought I would ask anyway.
Any excuse not to start the article eh!
Sunday, 11 November 2012
Raw deals and other stuff
Okay, I wasn't sure if I was breaching some kind of copywrite if I copied the actual words on here so please bear with me while I try to explain this.
In a nutshell I checked out a website that is running a writing competition in conjunction with a publisher and when reading the T&C's discover that the winner gives over royaties, rights and basically any say, in any language, anywhere in the world. The tag line to the spiel is something along the lines of "Do you want to see your book in print?" and it just seems to me that the website are taking advantage of wannabe writers. If the story is good and presumably the winning one will be then they stand to make a lot of money from it and the only remuneration that the author would get is £500 and seeing their book in print. Seems like a bit of a raw dal if you ask me.
As for me I am still waiting to here back from the editor that I sent my article to but the last time it took a month for one of their colleauges to get back to me so I guess its early days yet. I also pitched another article to a different editor and I'm waiting to hear if they want to see it so fingers crossed. There is also another article that I want to write up this week but I want to iron out a couple of style issues first.
In a nutshell I checked out a website that is running a writing competition in conjunction with a publisher and when reading the T&C's discover that the winner gives over royaties, rights and basically any say, in any language, anywhere in the world. The tag line to the spiel is something along the lines of "Do you want to see your book in print?" and it just seems to me that the website are taking advantage of wannabe writers. If the story is good and presumably the winning one will be then they stand to make a lot of money from it and the only remuneration that the author would get is £500 and seeing their book in print. Seems like a bit of a raw dal if you ask me.
As for me I am still waiting to here back from the editor that I sent my article to but the last time it took a month for one of their colleauges to get back to me so I guess its early days yet. I also pitched another article to a different editor and I'm waiting to hear if they want to see it so fingers crossed. There is also another article that I want to write up this week but I want to iron out a couple of style issues first.
Monday, 5 November 2012
Worth the effort?
Okay, so I'm over last night's spelling mistake induced tantrum and have returned to ask the question that I was going to ask 24 hours ago.
Now you know when you start reading a book and it doesn't grab you and you are struggling with it do you give up on it or are you determined to read it no matter what?
There is only one book that I have started and not been able to finish and I have started it more than once. Its not that I don't want to read it and I'm sure that it is very good but its very complicated and I've never been in the right frame of mind to finish it before but I will one of these days.
So personally I tend to plough through and hope that a book will get better before it ends but I know some people who just give up on a book that they are not enjoying.
What about you?
Now you know when you start reading a book and it doesn't grab you and you are struggling with it do you give up on it or are you determined to read it no matter what?
There is only one book that I have started and not been able to finish and I have started it more than once. Its not that I don't want to read it and I'm sure that it is very good but its very complicated and I've never been in the right frame of mind to finish it before but I will one of these days.
So personally I tend to plough through and hope that a book will get better before it ends but I know some people who just give up on a book that they are not enjoying.
What about you?
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Morphing - how did that happen?
I had to go to work today and anyone that knows me knows that I hate doing that but needs must when the devil drives and all that. The usual person wanted a holiday and the usual cover couldn't do it so when all else fails I have to do it. Boo. I got through it though but it did leave me with not as much time as I would like for doing the things that I usually like to do on Sundays.
It aslso meant that I didn't have as long as I would like to polish and article. This would be the article that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the forst one that I wrote. I typed up what I had written the other day so it wan't the first draft but it was still very rough. I pitched it to an editor not expecting them to get back to me for a while but they came back the next day asking to see it so I wanted to get that to them over the weekend. I've tweaked it within an inch of its life this evening but its gone now so fingers crossed.
AARRGGHHH! I've just looked at it again - God knows why because like I said its gone now and I spotted a spelling mistake The word "from" morphed into "form" and I didn't notice sod sod sod! I had read through it a dozen times so how did I miss it?
I was going to talk about something else but I'm too annoyed with myself now and to be honest I can't remember what it was. Oh yes I can but I'll save that for another day.
It aslso meant that I didn't have as long as I would like to polish and article. This would be the article that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the forst one that I wrote. I typed up what I had written the other day so it wan't the first draft but it was still very rough. I pitched it to an editor not expecting them to get back to me for a while but they came back the next day asking to see it so I wanted to get that to them over the weekend. I've tweaked it within an inch of its life this evening but its gone now so fingers crossed.
AARRGGHHH! I've just looked at it again - God knows why because like I said its gone now and I spotted a spelling mistake The word "from" morphed into "form" and I didn't notice sod sod sod! I had read through it a dozen times so how did I miss it?
I was going to talk about something else but I'm too annoyed with myself now and to be honest I can't remember what it was. Oh yes I can but I'll save that for another day.
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