Enough of the dithering! On Sunday my index finger finally pressed submit on my entry for the New Voices competition. My finger figured that seeing as I had already become obsessed with the competition I might as well go for: after all, if I'm commenting on books that people have commited blood, sweat and tears into writing then it is only fair the authors be able to reciprocate. I have managed to read dozens of the entries but have only commented on the ones I really like or can see that spark in. So far my favourites are The Courtesan Duchess; The Isle of Sensuality; Coming Home, Married in Haste and eWife. All five are fabulous reads and I'm hoping all get through to the next round.
My entry is called A Quirkey Affair and can be found (if I do this correctly which will see after I hit 'Publish Post') at http://www.romanceisnotdead.com/Entries/120-A-Quirkey-Affair
Good luck to all the entrants xxx
Monday, 19 September 2011
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Revisions
Ok, I know I have (severely) neglected this blog. What with one thing and another it's been low on my priorities and something I intend, from this moment forwards, to amend. At least that is my intention. Whether I stick to it or not...
During the first week of August I received a wonderful email from the editor who has my full MS. She had some lovely things to say (a great tone and real intensity, amongst others yippee!) Unfortunately there were two main issues that needed addressing, namely too much focus on the past/characters backstory, and too much narrative as opposed to dialogue. There were also a handful of much more minor issues. This email made me so happy - I wasn't blown out of the water! The editor wanted me to revise it!
It took me nearly four weeks but yesterday I finally hit the send button and off it went. I cut at least 15,000 words from the original and the changes threaded through every last page.
It was hard work but do you know what - it made the story so much tighter. All of the advice and suggestions made so much sense. You see, when I originally wrote this MS (the first three chapters were originally submitted May 2010) I was still very much in the 'formulaic Mills & Boon' mindset. The revisions allowed me to take the path I had originally wanted to take but been too wary, not realising that M&B want charcter arcs that are different. My heroine was a bad girl but I tamed her history thinking she would be too much for M&B. Quote: "It would be really interesting if she has actually been a proper bad girl!". Well, now she really has been a proper bad girl just as I originally wanted - let's just hope she hasn't become too bad for M&B!
Now to settle down for another long wait and if this story is ultimately rejected I already have two other manuscripts ready to send.
Take care all xxx
During the first week of August I received a wonderful email from the editor who has my full MS. She had some lovely things to say (a great tone and real intensity, amongst others yippee!) Unfortunately there were two main issues that needed addressing, namely too much focus on the past/characters backstory, and too much narrative as opposed to dialogue. There were also a handful of much more minor issues. This email made me so happy - I wasn't blown out of the water! The editor wanted me to revise it!
It took me nearly four weeks but yesterday I finally hit the send button and off it went. I cut at least 15,000 words from the original and the changes threaded through every last page.
It was hard work but do you know what - it made the story so much tighter. All of the advice and suggestions made so much sense. You see, when I originally wrote this MS (the first three chapters were originally submitted May 2010) I was still very much in the 'formulaic Mills & Boon' mindset. The revisions allowed me to take the path I had originally wanted to take but been too wary, not realising that M&B want charcter arcs that are different. My heroine was a bad girl but I tamed her history thinking she would be too much for M&B. Quote: "It would be really interesting if she has actually been a proper bad girl!". Well, now she really has been a proper bad girl just as I originally wanted - let's just hope she hasn't become too bad for M&B!
Now to settle down for another long wait and if this story is ultimately rejected I already have two other manuscripts ready to send.
Take care all xxx
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