tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24118773693196016612024-02-19T23:10:52.693-08:00Not another wannabe writerLiz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-12603471319095940932020-10-11T07:55:00.004-07:002020-10-11T07:55:40.060-07:00The bra fitting<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is me reading an extract from my first novel, <i><a href="https://mailchi.mp/9f824a289d2c/liz-hinds-author">This Time Next Year</a></i> (now available as a free download when you sign up for my newsletter).</span></p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WcR0vafD4M4" width="360"></iframe>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-34068836253630883062020-10-03T05:58:00.001-07:002020-10-03T05:58:19.795-07:00What's your favourite bookshop?<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Hot on the tail of <b><i>Poetry Day</i></b> we have <b><i>Bookshop Day</i></b> today, October 3rd, so I'd like to introduce you to my two favourite bookshops.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd9oeIE_CMK3yvLcTTcBfoy9H8GrCevQrP5DB3PHIwd5oPGH3I7OwwBZlqa_6cdJs0XiJA4S1c9t_7F3HYcnFFCLDotHNkla7x75eKFjB0nzZfSVcobrtD6rw0LeGzGn9X-Jbo2QvTbcU/s408/cover+to+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQd9oeIE_CMK3yvLcTTcBfoy9H8GrCevQrP5DB3PHIwd5oPGH3I7OwwBZlqa_6cdJs0XiJA4S1c9t_7F3HYcnFFCLDotHNkla7x75eKFjB0nzZfSVcobrtD6rw0LeGzGn9X-Jbo2QvTbcU/w172-h200/cover+to+cover.jpg" width="172" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Cover to Cover</i> in Mumbles opened in 1999 and when the owner retired a few years ago it was taken over by Tim Batcup who has managed to make even more of the small space in the shop.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Confession time: I didn't visit <i>Cover to Cover</i> for many years after its original opening because it had opened in direct competition to what was then my favourite bookshop, <i>Charlotte's Web</i>. Before <i>Charlotte's Web</i> closed down I had the pleasure of working there part-time, and we regarded <i>Cover to Cover</i> with disdain as the newcomer on the block.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But now it's under new ownership I'm happy to call in there when I'm in Mumbles - a rare happening since lockdown admittedly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">My other favourite is part of a chain: is that allowed?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaQup188WAKfuxvqdfCAfRbdf_5N4qCt3ds99PEl9w81vZzvByR8aWtzXo2IMEfP8ti2fsaTAvy_WhI8_uRJFt4OOFWAb7rDl_aZCz7bVLzUoBZcpf0E_6o1UNblSrR-sPmtIm-RDc6dP/s600/waterstones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKaQup188WAKfuxvqdfCAfRbdf_5N4qCt3ds99PEl9w81vZzvByR8aWtzXo2IMEfP8ti2fsaTAvy_WhI8_uRJFt4OOFWAb7rDl_aZCz7bVLzUoBZcpf0E_6o1UNblSrR-sPmtIm-RDc6dP/w200-h150/waterstones.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Waterstones</i> in Swansea is housed in a magnificent building, the old Carlton Cinema. I used to go there as a child to see the pictures; now I go there for the words. And is it awfully bad to admit that I sometimes note down titles from the bookshop to order from the library?</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the best thing about <i>Waterstones </i>is its Twitter account, or perhaps I should say, its Twitterer. It's not often that a business tweet is entertaining but @swanseastones is well worth a follow. As are @SwanseastoneGuy and @StinkyPondDog.</span></p>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-19830529280881441602020-10-01T07:21:00.003-07:002020-10-01T07:21:24.048-07:00The Song of the Mischievous Dog<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today is <a href="https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/about-npd/" target="_blank">National Poetry Day</a>. Now I'm not a poet, indeed, I struggle with poetry, but as I happened to be near Cwmdonkin Park, with a little time to spare this morning, it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why? I hear you asking. And for what?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The why is easy. Because Cwmdonkin Park was the local park for one of Wales' best - or at least best-known - poets. Dylan Thomas lived in a house, that is now open to the public, just around the corner from the park and it features in some of his poems and other writings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The park today has several Thomas reminders: a wooden statue, a stone memorial, and a new shelter/performance area.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And for what? To put together some images and words from one of his lesser known poems, <i>The Song of the Mischievous Dog</i>.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzHAUN41zQ5243KvWSKlThThR0X5e80FyMzC6ES4HBMCDkqlBJHJ8r6gLyH56IQOyoQbRKYeNZECfxs8DbxkQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-11878540899502922782020-09-30T08:13:00.002-07:002020-09-30T08:13:25.201-07:00My accomplishment for today<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There should be a drum roll at the very least. I am, without doubt, King of the Lab (which will only make sense if you watch the forensic crime series, <i>Bones</i>).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you look to your right you will see there is now a <a href="http://eepurl.com/heCxUf">Subscribe</a> here link. Two days it's taken me to do this - and I've only got thus far with a lot of help from Elder Son who-knows-about-these-things. Thank goodness for whatsapp and kind offspring.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's not exactly as I would like it but for now 'twill do. Writing is a doddle compared to this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This whole process has made me wonder whether I should have a dedicated author website, which theoretically would give me more freedom - but probably only at a price. Of my sanity of nothing else. I've done a bit of investigating, and they seem to be fairly static affairs, so I am disinclined to <strike>waste</strike> spend further time on something that isn't ... what's the word? Fluid and alive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you're a writer, do you have an author website? Do you find it helpful? Or does it just sit there and hope for the best?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If like me you're still thinking about it you may like to consider this advice from <a href="https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/writers/advice/1263/self-publishing/marketing-and-publicity/">Writers & Artists.</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FmBY6FeSK1UBlitPmisvTuQpb7Dv9Elm1pEjPqSObBw7TBnArfXxi44uxyEcCP0xyzuLGI_ixeXhRyr6tlMRQFJPVnQ6hVvBpFxAT3EIXKewE1gqbutefiWe0YhuW3mwtbjOivJquHpw/s2500/author+ewbsite.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6FmBY6FeSK1UBlitPmisvTuQpb7Dv9Elm1pEjPqSObBw7TBnArfXxi44uxyEcCP0xyzuLGI_ixeXhRyr6tlMRQFJPVnQ6hVvBpFxAT3EIXKewE1gqbutefiWe0YhuW3mwtbjOivJquHpw/s320/author+ewbsite.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-29838678271789048182020-09-28T09:17:00.006-07:002020-09-28T09:21:17.770-07:00Something for Nothing!<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sign up for my occasional newsletter and receive a FREE pdf copy of my first novel, <b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">This Time Next Year</span>.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">No commitment: you can unsubscribe at any time.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the sequel, <b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">This year ... maybe</span></b> is out in early December so you might want to get up to speed with the adventures of Alison before that! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Click <a href="https://mailchi.mp/0281c5211920/something-for-nothing" target="_blank">here</a> to sign up.</span></p>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-49765142458164310532020-09-28T07:43:00.000-07:002020-09-28T07:43:24.087-07:00Set up a mailing list today<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKNO5W4q1BUw_LjUuckOEOFjnh3rfMBFDYTWcSRoz5X3sGFk6uYM3IVZ0HsqsZy2FE9tkkRS564PN5JQWOJ0S61LqIoTqNhxA8rlFgqkjMI3sUCccdtqtazqLeQOdQoLkvhtpelugKaoa/s1954/Blog-blue-spotty-mug1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="1954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKNO5W4q1BUw_LjUuckOEOFjnh3rfMBFDYTWcSRoz5X3sGFk6uYM3IVZ0HsqsZy2FE9tkkRS564PN5JQWOJ0S61LqIoTqNhxA8rlFgqkjMI3sUCccdtqtazqLeQOdQoLkvhtpelugKaoa/s320/Blog-blue-spotty-mug1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">All the marketing/promotion advice sites point in the direction of setting up your own newsletter. How hard can that be? </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I wish I had threepence for each time I say those words - and live to regret it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Start at the beginning: find an email marketing provider. To do that read up about it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mailchimp and MailLite come out at the top of the charts with MailLite being recommended by the short course I was following. I started the process of signing up and got to the end where they wanted an email address that was linked to my website.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now I don't have a website as such, only blogs, and this blog is hosted by Blogger. It doesn't seem to be possible to create an email address linked to it. No way to get around it - short of either paying lots of money or completely transferring my blog to a different host.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As my income from writing is rather less than Mr Micawber's, spending money can't really be justified* so I tried Mailchimp instead. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here it's creating the account that is the easy bit. After that I've been going around in circles.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Probably some of my problems stem from the fact that when I read technical stuff I bleep over words I don't understand (most of them) and leap straight in, willy nilly. Forget the 'some'; all of my problems could be resolved if I didn't fall for all these headlines that say, 'A Quick and Easy Method to Set up a Mailing List Today!'</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What the headline doesn't say is that you have to have a teeny bit of expertise and understanding to grasp the point.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So I've stopped to blog and make a cup of tea. A very British answer to every problem.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">* Could I argue that you have to speculate to accumulate?</span></p>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-43792812469380633672020-09-24T05:07:00.004-07:002020-09-24T05:07:33.577-07:00Time for a makeover<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Rachel of <a href="https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/this-year-maybe" target="_blank">Rachel's Random Resources</a> is busy setting up the blog tour for <i>This year ... maybe</i>, so it occurs to me that if I am launching that at the end of November I need to get on with the relaunch of <i>This Time Next Year</i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It also occurred to me that I don't know how to do a relaunch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What do you do when in doubt? Consult Google of course. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Plenty of websites offering advice on launching a book and I assume the process is the more or less the same for a relaunch. And having speed read one of the articles I am thoroughly daunted.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Must be time for lunch now, so I'll come back to this when I am recharged.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Having done all the hard work of writing a book I do wish it could magically get to the top of the Best Sellers' List without me having to be self-promoting and boring.</span></p>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-556862602998561902020-09-13T02:53:00.000-07:002020-09-13T02:53:27.829-07:00I don't want to bore you but<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Things have come on apace.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have booked a blog tour for <i><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">This year ... maybe</span></b></i> for the end of November. So ... I had better get myself together. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I had two volunteer beta readers: one has commented and the other is still to do so. Not really enough but I am happy to work with that.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't know what I do wrong on Twitter but I very rarely get any Likes let alone responses to my posts. Actually I do know what I do wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am not consistent enough, don't comment on enough tweets, am not present enough. Just not enough. (The story of my life.) Need to interact more and network - that's the key word, isn't it?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But how do people manage to do that as well as write and simply live their lives?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I started following a, hm, what would you call her? Someone who advises clients on building up business especially via social media. I didn't even have time to do what she guaranteed would increase following ten-fold. Time? Inclination more like. Will, perseverance, determination. All those things I lack or fail at.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But this isn't about knocking myself down, rather an encouragement to throw myself into promotion over these next few months. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Trouble is I don't want to get boring. I'm the same in real life conversations. I am so afraid that people will get bored with my story I rush through it often omitting crucial bits so it doesn't make sense and then wonder why they look bemused, and wander off. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Other people care less and will continue talking long after my eyes have glazed over and I'm in completely another place. Maybe that's how I need to be.</span></p>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-5115906363922527622020-07-29T07:19:00.001-07:002020-07-29T07:19:50.445-07:00Alpha beta<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So I think I will re-launch <i>This Time Next Year</i> with a new cover prior to launching the sequel, <i>This Year (Maybe)</i>. That way I can make them tie in together better, using the same fonts and background but with a different colour scheme.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have just advertised on FaceBook for beta-readers. Hope I get some response as I find it really hard to critique my own writing. (Probably because I've worked on it for so long that it's perfect, obviously!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've self-published two books, the first with Lulu and the second with Amazon. I found it much easier to do on Amazon - but do you think I can remember how? Note to self: this time record every stage as you do it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In fact I'll do that now as I've begun the process.</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-36680631417174717942020-07-16T04:08:00.003-07:002020-07-16T04:08:38.342-07:00A chip off the old self-belief<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I gave up submitting to agents/publishers a few years ago because my self-belief was rapidly dying. Instead I went down the self-publishing road. Very occasionally I still submit something but try to avoid it on the whole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then yesterday, on Twitter, there was a One Day Opportunity to pitch a Twitter blurb to an agent. I said to myself, 'She probably won't reply but what have I got to lose?'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I had a blurb ready written so it was a simple matter of tweeting it. Here it is:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rescuing an illegal immigrant. On the run from a criminal
millionaire.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">She was only supposed to be
making a few sandwiches but now Tabby finds herself in a real life adventure,
with her mum, a disgraced policeman, a farting dog, and two homeless friends to
help.</span> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'd have wanted to know more if I'd been the agent! But she didn't. And what I had to lose I lost: a chip of confidence, of self-belief, even of happiness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Foolishly I went back today to see how many she'd requested. A lot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Big big sighs.</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-2514330175578537992020-07-09T06:19:00.001-07:002020-07-09T06:19:04.828-07:00HELP please!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Driving myself mad trying to design a cover. I know best advice is to get a professional - but they cost money! As I've probably made less than £100 in my fiction writing life it isn't viable. So the hammering my head against a wall continues.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These are some of the ideas I've had - bearing in mind that I want it to have some link to the original.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0lk7ei5P6swmIl5krXvcQQYIhSzYyJ6TfgDhAdztzgFiiduHvVZ3AJJg1V08FxGeWpo-eIrRJ2vHzMiG_Yu1St79l87TwN_FYOAWacCS9pLzXu2orvzD_NskN3ZavmwTRltqZqiObb6T/s1600/sample+cover2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="609" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0lk7ei5P6swmIl5krXvcQQYIhSzYyJ6TfgDhAdztzgFiiduHvVZ3AJJg1V08FxGeWpo-eIrRJ2vHzMiG_Yu1St79l87TwN_FYOAWacCS9pLzXu2orvzD_NskN3ZavmwTRltqZqiObb6T/s320/sample+cover2+copy.jpg" width="219" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Alison goes to Ibiza for her hen do, hence the sun cream. Comments included, 'Why have you got a carrot on the front?' (Viewed from a distance.)</span></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70rXuy_nwKVER5WKvHzqKNoCQAyTWm5GzzpzoV8od4hkMAsLIjjfDJT8o95GUMxoiI3HWQzSdcxccvruYB9ToAOkliXQB7nJj49HUcR-x_wqgOvISf6LJNJDmQLGWPEXGMjh7VUKqp1Ha/s1600/sample+cover5+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70rXuy_nwKVER5WKvHzqKNoCQAyTWm5GzzpzoV8od4hkMAsLIjjfDJT8o95GUMxoiI3HWQzSdcxccvruYB9ToAOkliXQB7nJj49HUcR-x_wqgOvISf6LJNJDmQLGWPEXGMjh7VUKqp1Ha/s320/sample+cover5+copy.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Incorporating suggestions from children.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VhV0SusFV9H1DUFrIn2j1mGnVaLoqmeYz-uAEPoqGM2YJbVB-r-7DZann0zqHEk7IXvYgtCO1pyVQ-nxXNNO1zuGy__N3tFDBBfstdRyvxOwE7JJKkubQGeqORSete-6q-ilOVsSV6an/s1600/sample+cover6+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VhV0SusFV9H1DUFrIn2j1mGnVaLoqmeYz-uAEPoqGM2YJbVB-r-7DZann0zqHEk7IXvYgtCO1pyVQ-nxXNNO1zuGy__N3tFDBBfstdRyvxOwE7JJKkubQGeqORSete-6q-ilOVsSV6an/s320/sample+cover6+copy.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcszEdkQshbavW4j558ciaAQq4CrjgtB37eJfkTHPut4qpmoEq65IZ0qeXrshK9O9uNmRZCfjhNSoovM-9Edr_q5eUVq3RvAKEOSks2jE2B7m3cAd7FD1-kIHvEU9BwoEpB-MH0YFxZUk5/s1600/sample+cover7+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcszEdkQshbavW4j558ciaAQq4CrjgtB37eJfkTHPut4qpmoEq65IZ0qeXrshK9O9uNmRZCfjhNSoovM-9Edr_q5eUVq3RvAKEOSks2jE2B7m3cAd7FD1-kIHvEU9BwoEpB-MH0YFxZUk5/s320/sample+cover7+copy.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are two reasons for the handcuffs ...</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnp1BtjbBmQhkLGdF1PYvJFaDUeFa3EcI3R_ggwMmvdP4FExwAzrH3WvURVE4tDq9ircpY34VYbXWuimL387Wa0l2CvQJ3RC0NvgaKOfoqgUMU06FF7u-siBELC3TwC6DzeaeEWS61tvim/s1600/sample+cover8+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnp1BtjbBmQhkLGdF1PYvJFaDUeFa3EcI3R_ggwMmvdP4FExwAzrH3WvURVE4tDq9ircpY34VYbXWuimL387Wa0l2CvQJ3RC0NvgaKOfoqgUMU06FF7u-siBELC3TwC6DzeaeEWS61tvim/s320/sample+cover8+copy.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saw the picture and just fancied doing something completely different.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-91274122099769722522020-07-06T08:38:00.001-07:002020-07-06T08:38:35.045-07:00Title and cover advice sought<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have finished the first rough edit. To give myself a break I'm now thinking about a) title, and b) cover.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Husband suggested <i>What Aliss Did Next</i>, which I am using as the working title but, on reflection, probably not the final.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let me ask your advice. Here is the cover of the original:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpEPWJOrnbFDVVWoJEdRRxSf5wchm8EGUKrr5wUlYeNIlWqgdzMoHLk1gHKHiWOiVElMmC3MdmrY6Hq8qRpyWbvvcsPoBsCUXG8-8aJBK6vdIBP-jdqxNaVeX2maLNA-RcLuBCuTUx-yQ/s1600/ttny+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpEPWJOrnbFDVVWoJEdRRxSf5wchm8EGUKrr5wUlYeNIlWqgdzMoHLk1gHKHiWOiVElMmC3MdmrY6Hq8qRpyWbvvcsPoBsCUXG8-8aJBK6vdIBP-jdqxNaVeX2maLNA-RcLuBCuTUx-yQ/s320/ttny+cover.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was thinking something similar for the sequel - to 'something' the brand i.e. make it identifiable. (Assuming anyone remembers the original, a rash assumption.) So maybe a diary page again but this time with a tube of sun cream in the corner: they're going to Ibiza for a hen week. Would that work? What do you think? Or maybe wedding rings? (I don't think it will come as any great surprise to anyone to discover Alison is getting married this time round. Or is she?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If I used the sun cream I'd use a recognisable brand - carefully edited obviously - and pick up the colour in the type and side edge. I was also thinking of a donkey for reasons that would become clear to anyone reading the book but maybe not on sight. So scrap donkey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thinking about it I'm coming down in favour of wedding rings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Any thoughts?</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-68083092044600723252020-07-04T06:31:00.003-07:002020-07-04T06:34:14.550-07:00Woman in search of a title<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yesterday I started editing my work in progress. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have changed odd bits, and cut out a few words here and there, but either I'm not seeing what needs to be edited or I'm such a good writer that first draft is perfect (!), as there's not much to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I do think a lot before writing and compose carefully and edit as I go along but still ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think I need some other eyes, beta readers maybe, or is there another stage before that?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKGqb0z-ef_5i-rPRu5eFp_w_oJc9fiGoxebhxwpC6j_Kt5ODx1JA0YQUmB__lURPu8hWaW7mnlgwAmkl9mKRGruKi0o6iKSc4B4ljq5d27cZqXm1wVR2oVBNwFTfLo3oUGTHMdLKCz0w/s1600/ttny+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKGqb0z-ef_5i-rPRu5eFp_w_oJc9fiGoxebhxwpC6j_Kt5ODx1JA0YQUmB__lURPu8hWaW7mnlgwAmkl9mKRGruKi0o6iKSc4B4ljq5d27cZqXm1wVR2oVBNwFTfLo3oUGTHMdLKCz0w/s200/ttny+cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And - quite importantly - I need a title, a working title at least. This a sequel to <i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Time-Next-Year-Hinds/dp/1471652122/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380828860&sr=1-3&keywords=this+time+next+year">This Time Next Year</a></i> so logically I suppose I need to find a way to link it, a way that will connect readers to the original.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Any suggestions?</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-60406618927871974632020-06-29T05:52:00.001-07:002020-06-29T05:52:08.988-07:00We're cleverer than we know<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am a jolly clever person. And so are you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We know far more than we think we know - even if we don't know that we know it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before I lose myself in a word-hole let me explain. Have you ever wondered why we always say ping-pong or zig-zag rather than pong-ping and zag-zig? No, you probably haven't because when you say it you don't think about it; you just know that's the way it is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What we're actually doing is obeying a rule of the English language, which is that in a two word phrase the word containing I or E comes before the word containing A, O or U. It's the rule of ablaut reduplication.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bish-bash-bosh demonstrates the order if there are three words: I, A, O.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nobody really knows why we use this sequence. Some suggest it's because of the movement of the tongue. One way is easier than the other, flows more smoothly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Another rule that nobody ever teaches you - not as far as I can remember anyway - is the order of adjectives. Opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun. For example, the lovely small old rectangular red French wooden serving tray. While you're unlikely to go into quite so much detail in one sentence, if you did you would know without thinking what order the adjectives should go in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now I bet you're trying to think of examples to prove these rules wrong.Well, you don't have to go far to find an exception to the adjective rule.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Little Red Riding Hood is fine but what about the big bad wolf?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh yes, I remember! Ablaut reduplication! </span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-3900275810665011272020-06-12T01:39:00.000-07:002020-06-12T01:39:12.735-07:00What's in a name?<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yesterday I completed the first draft of the sequel to my first novel! One hundred and one thousand words, give or take a few. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'll probably need to cut out some bits that may be waffly but I am pleased with the decision I made that got me to the end a little faster than I had anticipated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now I need a title. I always find that the hardest bit. <i>This Time Next Year</i> took us through a year in the life of the heroine, at the end of which (SPOILER ALERT but not really because you've probably guessed that I love a happy ending) she got her man. The sequel has jumped forward a few years and she and her man have set a wedding date, and we follow her through the ups and downs of the months ahead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So what to call it? I could be here some time.</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-32842583685141517602020-06-10T09:06:00.003-07:002020-06-10T09:06:49.494-07:00Excellent day!<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Two thousand, nine hundred and sixty-three words written today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Plus exercise done, George walked, research carried out, and pizza dough made. It's been raining this afternoon so that has made it easier. Which reminds me: I'd better go and check the dough. I had to put the heating on to make the place warm enough for dough to rise. (Not that I was objecting to the heating: I've already resorted to thick socks and jumper.)</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-44249844805383323552020-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:002020-06-09T09:43:06.863-07:00One week in<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fsIUcuBXT4YE45t8wpTMydBFbwiKTnQjsp6yBVgwf2zAK9ss044ro2DfxvSX9F_4jZR0PFejOq_pzZCUaiwjvQL7XlMJXB0rSPSPfL3dP3FXzKlV7KUuvNAyykvxU2yTitOoAAI5jtCF/s1600/mynowrimo+%252814%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fsIUcuBXT4YE45t8wpTMydBFbwiKTnQjsp6yBVgwf2zAK9ss044ro2DfxvSX9F_4jZR0PFejOq_pzZCUaiwjvQL7XlMJXB0rSPSPfL3dP3FXzKlV7KUuvNAyykvxU2yTitOoAAI5jtCF/s200/mynowrimo+%252814%2529.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've written every day but one but I've only had one really good writing day. I've managed to write 5,439 words, some of which I'm pleased with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So all in all I think my report card would say, 'Elizabeth needs to apply herself. She is capable of better work.'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Part of the trouble is that I'm not sure where I'm going next. There is a wedding in the offing and I need to jump to it. I'll have to find an excuse for the heroine to not write in her diary for two weeks so we can scoot ahead to the action.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yes, that's part of the trouble but another part is that I can't remember what's happened so far. Need to go back and read it. Actually need to write something about ... that as well. Yes, that'll have to happen next.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Okay, plot sorted. Nothing like a bit of last minute panic to help you focus.</span><br />
<br />Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-69323672158726840472020-06-02T09:19:00.002-07:002020-06-02T09:19:49.710-07:00MyNoWriMo again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp5UKrwJ1GNcjxBPAbcdX9TY59gD34pG7gJ-eZvR7gRZxxeH4X-puZwTNa4i0vtYshhHe7rE4-N3KgZmIxqb9P2V3A6oI-zmVHmzhXt_wGcrYoabM5AF27SwO_r4z20_9ECYnyUYGnKDZ/s1600/mynowrimo+%252814%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp5UKrwJ1GNcjxBPAbcdX9TY59gD34pG7gJ-eZvR7gRZxxeH4X-puZwTNa4i0vtYshhHe7rE4-N3KgZmIxqb9P2V3A6oI-zmVHmzhXt_wGcrYoabM5AF27SwO_r4z20_9ECYnyUYGnKDZ/s320/mynowrimo+%252814%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fed up with my failure to write anything during lockdown I'm challenging myself again. I seem to do better with a time scale or target of some sort. I succeeded in February writing on my work in progress every day. I am quite near the end of my manuscript now so i'm setting myself the same target of writing in it every day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm not aiming for the 50,000 words that NaNoWriMo sets but any amount each day will be better than I've done for ages.</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-3176022929600728392020-04-01T03:15:00.000-07:002020-04-01T03:17:24.847-07:00A warning for those who would do it themselves!<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="420" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fliz.hinds1%2Fvideos%2F10156981491421269%2F&show_text=0&width=360" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="360"></iframe>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-45466226578699095232020-03-29T04:22:00.000-07:002020-03-29T04:46:30.028-07:00Coming soon ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to a speaker near you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxy7CfEvcygj2K4FodMW80mQWqis0EJz36JhO2Nz29nZPZ_QlRb9E3kZ4vG6tz2ijO1iEtQz6GX8xyRkVsaaQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wednesday April 1st sees the launch of my new podcast. Every weekday at 11.00 am you'll have the chance to catch up with Alison and her life as a 50-year-old.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Each episode will be around fifteen minutes and will be available on the website after broadcast. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I hope you get the chance to tune in! And please let me know what you think!</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-37476154736461229542020-03-25T09:48:00.002-07:002020-03-25T09:48:32.189-07:00Listeners wanted!<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All you lovely people out there! I know you're bored and looking for something to amuse you so may I suggest listening to the first episode of my podcast? It's also the test episode so I can amend it as necessary. But to know what needs improving I need people to listen and tell me!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This episode is about eighteen minutes long. All comments - constructive ones only please - will be appreciated.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I'm releasing this as a serialised podcast in order to create interest in the sequel. (And to sell millions of copies of both obviously.) (And to become rich and famous and have George Clooney star in the film version.)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/958027/3119479-episode-1-podcast-test.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-3119479&player=small" type="text/javascript"></script>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-59356571204035082162020-03-14T05:43:00.000-07:002020-03-14T05:43:10.058-07:00Kill your darlings<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am omitting the very sad bit I had planned for later but this section, I think, isn't sad enough to create a blip in the reader's enjoyment, but simply adds some background, and helps us to understand the characters more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am now - amazingly - on 85,692 words, and still have a largish chunk to write. This means it will be significantly longer than volume one unless I decide a huge amount of editing - in the deleting sense - is necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We shall see. I am not good at editing. There is a famous quote you have probably heard often used by writing teachers: kill your darlings, meaning get rid of all those precious but unnecessary words. I find that hard. Maybe that is why I am not a best-selling famous author.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As to the origin of the quote there seems to be some confusion. Was it Stephen King? He definitely wrote it in his book, On Writing, but was he quoting William Faulkner? Or was it originally 'murder your darlings' as said by Sir Arthur Quiller-Cough in a lecture towards the beginning of the twentieth century?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whoever first said it is irrelevant to the reader but it remains desperately painful to the writer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wZ6Rw7KRfTalksHCH_wadpKlBZ7x6xoi3-zXfbToKKWky4gpNjCRlB7qIgW3Z4QR6RqjWnQrnU8LR6hyphenhyphenu1F-3QQXGSVDm5D6DkwHaS0JIOqV3KiADROxD-F1ndGvNZdHQ1kh_ztSyA_N/s1600/kill+your+darlings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wZ6Rw7KRfTalksHCH_wadpKlBZ7x6xoi3-zXfbToKKWky4gpNjCRlB7qIgW3Z4QR6RqjWnQrnU8LR6hyphenhyphenu1F-3QQXGSVDm5D6DkwHaS0JIOqV3KiADROxD-F1ndGvNZdHQ1kh_ztSyA_N/s320/kill+your+darlings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-11417125352590403362020-03-11T09:38:00.003-07:002020-03-11T09:38:37.579-07:00Darkness in the humour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My Work In Progress, like the original is amusing, at least I hope it is. That's the intention <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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anyway.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But even funny novels need a bit of darkness on occasion to ... to ... make the reader appreciate the humour? So I've written a serious bit. I plan another sombre moment later unless I decide one is enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've spent the afternoon working on it and it's quite upset me. I hope it has the same effect on my readers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I didn't know about this surprising turn of events until the day before yesterday when it revealed itself to me. Don't you love it when that happens? When the plot writes itself?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qfgr0RylYbtIugFeg3fml7BEKLG2wQq55-T_aJmc7WBAN9r7ySgi3fbR9f-ySTyAYn3auYSuiEgpg7HKCjbuURjyX-4X_jdD-NS-ZmUVRGMT9GsGnxG5UO96P1OT9grrr8dFtVYqkuE3/s1600/boing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qfgr0RylYbtIugFeg3fml7BEKLG2wQq55-T_aJmc7WBAN9r7ySgi3fbR9f-ySTyAYn3auYSuiEgpg7HKCjbuURjyX-4X_jdD-NS-ZmUVRGMT9GsGnxG5UO96P1OT9grrr8dFtVYqkuE3/s320/boing.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When I was doing a writing course the tutor told me off. She said, 'You create a wonderfully poignant scene and then you ruin it by throwing in a joke.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She might not approve of mixing seriousness and humour. What do you think? Do you agree that a bit of seriousness goes down well in a light-hearted novel?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">P.S. I tried to write the adjective from the word humour but, for the life of me, I couldn't work out how to spell it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">P.P.S. Cartoon has no relevance to anything but it made me laugh.</span></div>
Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-64810310559554371702020-03-09T10:17:00.002-07:002020-03-09T10:17:15.224-07:00A belated Women's Day post<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yesterday was International Women's Day as you will know if you were on social media at all. There was a multitude of posts about women writers so I thought I'd join in and write about one of my favourite writers and probably favourite character.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfjf5O_-RXSSctYqrio1_4j1H03QhxjTf38vsAcnk4yo0tRbJ27wy1cZ1sfzezdrSBF7L-ZNLAKDnC27_5MMUPbJ4QVKFkqqvuc8bolwgr7nPrAUSwyHBe26qmHCENnznx5lR9Q3cDMiG/s1600/evanovich.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="546" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfjf5O_-RXSSctYqrio1_4j1H03QhxjTf38vsAcnk4yo0tRbJ27wy1cZ1sfzezdrSBF7L-ZNLAKDnC27_5MMUPbJ4QVKFkqqvuc8bolwgr7nPrAUSwyHBe26qmHCENnznx5lR9Q3cDMiG/s320/evanovich.JPG" width="196" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I first met Janet Evanovich and her bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, in the library. That must have been in or around 1995. Since then there's been about a book a year and I own them all. Unusually for me most are hardback copies. Husband has bought the new release each year for my birthday or Christmas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Some of the later ones are a little disappointing - probably to be expected when it's number 25 in a series: it's hard to keep the pace going. But the basic characters never fail to make me laugh out loud - a rarity from the written word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stephanie Plum is a New Jersey girl who got into bounty hunting when she lost her job in a lingerie store. Her cousin, the seedy and dubious Vinnie, is the owner of the Bond enforcement business and family ties are strong in the Burg. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stephanie is cute but also determined. She's helpless in many ways and does have to rely on being rescued by men occasionally but when the men are as gorgeous as cop Joe Morelli and bond enforcement agent - and quite possibly superhero - Ranger, who cares?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She goes into some horrendous and scary situations, having to fight her own fear to do so. But she's aided by Lula, a larger-than-life doughnut-loving hooker, who may give up the prostitution but never the tight/short clothes, which have to stretch to fit her ample body.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stephanie frequently goes home for lunch with her parents - meat loaf is her mum's speciality - and Grandma Mazur, who loves nothing better than a viewing at the local funeral parlour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I think I love the books because I want to be Stephanie. Not just because she's gorgeous and has two fabulous men hankering after her, but also because she dares to give things a try. And she's brave. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And I've just realised Husband failed to get me my usual last year so Twisted Twenty-six still awaits me.</span>Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411877369319601661.post-12476273289741651542020-03-07T07:43:00.002-08:002020-03-07T07:43:23.284-08:00A to Z blogging?<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week I read about something that has, apparently, been going for a few years but is new to me: the <a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2020/">April A to Z Blogging Challenge</a>.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The challenge is to blog each day in April on an alphabetical theme. My first thought - for some strange reason - was 'but there aren't enough days to do the whole alphabet.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Yes, I know. Not only are there enough days but you have Sundays off too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm thinking about taking the challenge and have already started coming up with topics, vaguely writing related, for the letters for the alphabet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My only concern is that, according to the website, on upcoming dates, March 16th is Theme Reveal Posts. I'm not sure if that means there will be a theme that all entrants write on or whether ... well, I don't know. I suppose I could ask. Hm, yes, I'll do that before I sign up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Have you ever taken part in the A to Z Blogging Challenge? Do you think you will this year?</span></div>
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Liz Hindshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04646532093872561703noreply@blogger.com2