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For further information please visit my website http://www.michelle-smart.com/

Friday, 1 April 2011

Is There Anybody There...?

I've named the title of this post as above because I'm currently wondering how the heck to get some more followers. Maybe I should be shamelessly promoting myself but I can't help but wonder what I've got to promote? My startling wit? Hmmm.... Maybe I should start by actually telling people that I have a blog, such as my family and friends?

Anyway, that is enough procrastination. The first draft of the Nocturn Craving is complete. I now have exactly two weeks to work through the second draft, think of a title, and come up with a two paragraph blurb that will make the editor go 'oh isn't she marvellous, we must select her to pitch for us!' rather than 'who is this woman and will she ever stop darkening our door?'

I decided against submitting for the Desire contest. As soon as the Nocturn is finished I'm keen to get going on the second draft of my other manuscript. This is the one that has taken over my brain, the characters living in my head (rent free may I add) ready for me to make the adjustments that will bring them to life. I don't know if the way I write differs to other writers, but I find that I have to get the whole story down first, the layers adding themselves as I write, until the first draft is complete. By this point I know my characters intimately and can go back and add more layers and also remove sections that no longer fit.

On a personal note, I now have another niece and two nephews all born in the past ten weeks. Well done Jennie, Lulu and Jo (not that any of you read this blog, mostly because I haven't told you about it ha ha). Love you all xxx
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9 comments:

  1. Eleroo4 April 2011 at 22:56

    First, congrats on the new family members!!
    Second, your blog (after clicking from ehar site) inspired me to start one, since, well, it seems the done thing. :)
    I hope you hear from M & B soon, I can well imagine that it is now tortuous, since they asked for the full ms-I would need to restrain myself, and think you have done well to. The submission process is a trick beast lol.
    I just subbed a Craving, didn't go for the pitch as I am unavailable for it. Good luck with it-if you need a blurb listener, just message me. Get it finished!!!

    Emma

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  2. Author4 April 2011 at 23:06

    Hi Michelle, your blog is looking good. I'm so new to this myself, I'm not sure what advice I can give, but definitely connecting with the other members of subcare and subscribing to our favorite romance sites and other potential epublishers will be good, I'm just getting started on that.
    Your link from my blog isn't working, not sure why. Also you have me in your list as L C Zingera and that link works, but you also have what I think may be me with a typo beneath that as lczingzera.blogspot one two many z's and so that one doesn't work.I hope you can get your picture added. It's all trial and error with learning about blogging. I'm going to try to add my pic to my site this afternoon.
    Good luck on your manuscript with Mills and Boon, there is so much to learn in the writing world isn't there! Search the Harlequin and Mills and Boon sites for writing articles and also The Wild Rose Press has a tons of really great writing articles too, I'm just making my way through them now.

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  3. Joanne Stewart4 April 2011 at 23:45

    Hi Michelle! I've had a blog for a while now, but I don't really know what to do with mine either. I'm just not one of those chatty people who can come up with topics all the time. How do people do it? I have to say I write fairly clean, chapter by chapter. Each chapter has to reach a certain level of depth before I can move on. Congrats on the new family members!

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  4. Michelle Smart 4 April 2011 at 23:45

    Thank's Emma and Christie.

    Emma, I submitted the blurb a couple of days ago (stupidly without getting anyone to look at it doh!). Please let me know when your blog's up and running.

    I'm off to bed now (it's nearly midnight) so will will try to get my link sorted on your site in the morning Christie and will have a look at the Wild Rose Press site then too.

    Many thanks to you both x

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  5. Michelle Smart 4 April 2011 at 23:48

    Cheers Joanne (same name as my stepsister, her of newborn baby fame!)

    I do find it fascinating just how differently we all approach this writing malarky.

    Now I really am off to bed so night night x

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  6. Kaily Hart5 April 2011 at 03:11

    OK, so you have another follower :). What can I tell you? Getting followers is tough. I have a lot of regular lurkers who aren't actual followers. I think they pop in from seeing my blog listed on the 'blog lists' of other sites so that could be something to try and get done.

    Tell everyone you can!! Congrats on your Nocturne Cravings progress and on the new additions to your family!

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  7. Nina5 April 2011 at 11:44

    Hi Michelle

    Good for you for setting this up.I think Kaily is right about lurkers and other peoples blog lists.

    I like to have word count when I'm writing. So a rough draft of 50-55k words and then I can relax temporarily) because I know there is enough there for a book. Of course then I have to read the words and see if they make sense!

    Good luck on the nocturnes pitch and I hope you hear back on your full soon!

    Nina x

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  8. Unknown5 April 2011 at 13:41

    Good luck with the Nocturne pitch, Michelle. And congratulations on the new additions to the family.

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  9. Michelle Smart 5 April 2011 at 13:52

    Thanks for all the encouragement xxx

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