Opening up my e-mails this morning - I have two accounts - I was faced with a rejection for a fun piece I wrote called 'The Pig'. No big deal, not really. It was the first piece I shared with HH, and was with a publication for a while as they forgot to send me a rejection. Having got it back two days ago, I re-parceled it and sent it straight back out. Obviously re-homing a pig is harder than I thought.
However on my other account, I noticed a message from a publisher and on opening it I was delighted to find it is an acceptance of a piece I wrote called 'A Daughters Love'. It's about a young woman who lives with her father, a war vet who has PTS. It's quite a moving piece and inspired by my own mother and her father and what they went through together after WWII. The editorwho sent me the message was extremely complimentary about it. I am glowing with pride right now.
The publication - I don't know if I can share the name with you yet, but I will as soon as I can- publishes e-books, and as the author I will get a percentage of the royalties, a first for me. Exciting times.
What's Going on Here?
Other places you can find me...
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Monday, 28 June 2010
Just a little one
So much going on, so many different things to be done. I've got a few bits of work out there that I need to review, take on board comments etc and edit them.
HH is looking for some new members, which is exciting, although it's because a couple of others decided it wasn't for them, so it's a bitter sweet thing. And I'm helping with housekeeping on the site now, which is interesting seeing how it works from the back. But it make me nervous in case I irrevocably delete something... although I'm happy to report no disasters so far.
But on top of all this, somehow I managed to write a micro-mini flash fiction of 204 words about a guys obsession with a girl with hazel eyes (inspiration... I looked in the mirror and decided, actually I love the colour of my eyes - hazel, you guessed it - even though as a child I wanted bright green or blue). I got some excellent critique help from HH and sent it out just now... watch this space.
HH is looking for some new members, which is exciting, although it's because a couple of others decided it wasn't for them, so it's a bitter sweet thing. And I'm helping with housekeeping on the site now, which is interesting seeing how it works from the back. But it make me nervous in case I irrevocably delete something... although I'm happy to report no disasters so far.
But on top of all this, somehow I managed to write a micro-mini flash fiction of 204 words about a guys obsession with a girl with hazel eyes (inspiration... I looked in the mirror and decided, actually I love the colour of my eyes - hazel, you guessed it - even though as a child I wanted bright green or blue). I got some excellent critique help from HH and sent it out just now... watch this space.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Nearly missed this
Another one of my pieces has been published, and I nearly missed it!
Peter Jones and Tisha Box
It's one of the stranger pieces I've written, but a favorite. Enjoy!
Peter Jones and Tisha Box
It's one of the stranger pieces I've written, but a favorite. Enjoy!
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Phew
I just finished the re-edit of Chapter One, posting it at five to midnight here in the UK. Now I sit back and nervously wait for peoples reactions. Hopefully those who initially read the piece will want to see if I have taken their ideas on board. I would like to think I have.
I need to revisit with the punctuation self help book to remind myself of the use of semicolons, I used them quite a lot, but became doubtful of their position and exchanged them for a full stop and a new sentence in a lot of cases. A brush up on the matter would benefit me in everything.
Before I can start a new project there's still editing work to be done on a recent poem - my first non-rhyming attempt I have been confident enough to share. Not to mention the sexually explicit piece which you can call Hunger from here on in. I finally got the okay to submit it on HH and as expected got the more professional critiquing of the story rather than content, which has been super helpful.
Questions, funny as it may seem have arose around whether or not a man can feel himself breaking they Hymen if he has sex with a virgin. And also if he can feel himself press on the neck of the cervix. Honestly, the things I find myself investigating to keep a story real, lol.
Anyway, midnight here now, so I am off to bed. Whether or not I get to sleep is another matter as its hot and humid at the moment. But horizontal rest cannot be passed up in any form. At least tomorrow is Friday!
I need to revisit with the punctuation self help book to remind myself of the use of semicolons, I used them quite a lot, but became doubtful of their position and exchanged them for a full stop and a new sentence in a lot of cases. A brush up on the matter would benefit me in everything.
Before I can start a new project there's still editing work to be done on a recent poem - my first non-rhyming attempt I have been confident enough to share. Not to mention the sexually explicit piece which you can call Hunger from here on in. I finally got the okay to submit it on HH and as expected got the more professional critiquing of the story rather than content, which has been super helpful.
Questions, funny as it may seem have arose around whether or not a man can feel himself breaking they Hymen if he has sex with a virgin. And also if he can feel himself press on the neck of the cervix. Honestly, the things I find myself investigating to keep a story real, lol.
Anyway, midnight here now, so I am off to bed. Whether or not I get to sleep is another matter as its hot and humid at the moment. But horizontal rest cannot be passed up in any form. At least tomorrow is Friday!
Tough Crowd
I've been inspired by a friend from Writers Beat to pull my novel off the flash drive again and see if I can improve it...
I've decided to take it chapter by chapter. Each one being checked for SPaG and me looking to see if i could de-word it or make any builds before sharing on WB.
I got the first chapter out last night. I took plenty out and sorted what I thought were the obvious SPaG issues. I posted it on the 'Members Forum', where first rights are protected for those who are hopeful of securing themselves one of those illusive publishing deals one day.
Well... my friend read it first and she picked up on a number of SPaG (good start - not) but she did pick up on the chemistry between my main characters (MC's), which was a relief to hear.
A couple of other regulars had a look, one pulling me up for holding back with my passion, the other picking up the SPaG. So, back to drawing board, or word document in this case. The opinions I've had so far are ones I am very grateful for. They are from regular members of the forum whose writing I am a great admirer of. It would be silly not to sit up and pay attention.
Punctuation has always been my weakness, and I had thought I was getting better, perhaps it simply because I was lazy with the initial re-edit as it had already been written. But no time to rest on my laurels here. I have a tough crowd willing to review my work and I don't want to let them down.
I've decided to take it chapter by chapter. Each one being checked for SPaG and me looking to see if i could de-word it or make any builds before sharing on WB.
I got the first chapter out last night. I took plenty out and sorted what I thought were the obvious SPaG issues. I posted it on the 'Members Forum', where first rights are protected for those who are hopeful of securing themselves one of those illusive publishing deals one day.
Well... my friend read it first and she picked up on a number of SPaG (good start - not) but she did pick up on the chemistry between my main characters (MC's), which was a relief to hear.
A couple of other regulars had a look, one pulling me up for holding back with my passion, the other picking up the SPaG. So, back to drawing board, or word document in this case. The opinions I've had so far are ones I am very grateful for. They are from regular members of the forum whose writing I am a great admirer of. It would be silly not to sit up and pay attention.
Punctuation has always been my weakness, and I had thought I was getting better, perhaps it simply because I was lazy with the initial re-edit as it had already been written. But no time to rest on my laurels here. I have a tough crowd willing to review my work and I don't want to let them down.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Resolution
Panic over! I found the story in a hidden folder.
Also I submitted the explicit story to HH by linking to the adult forum on Writers Beat, I know it wont be everyone's cup of tea, but if one person can read it and let me know if there is anything glaringly obvious I have missed then it will be a help.
Also I submitted the explicit story to HH by linking to the adult forum on Writers Beat, I know it wont be everyone's cup of tea, but if one person can read it and let me know if there is anything glaringly obvious I have missed then it will be a help.
More frustration and rejections
We all have those days when things refuse to go our way, don't we?
I received a couple of rejections in the last day or two. No big thing, it's part of what being a writer is about, I think. Take the rejection, see if there is anything in that can help you improve and move on.
One piece that was rejected was a short twisted piece, which was fun to write, but not me at my best. The other was a children's story I wrote after my son was born. It gathered dust on the hard drive for a few years, before I pulled it off and showed it to the others on HH. I made some quite heavy edits and when I was happy, I submitted it. Having it rejected is not what has bothered me... no, what has annoyed me is that for some reason, I think I have left the edited version on my desk top, which has died. I hope I haven't lost the story, taking a liberty I personalised the new version with the names of family and friends, it felt sort of appropriate to do.
Normally all my stories are on a USB stick and but I can't find this one. The question is now, can I revive the desktop one more time to get the story, and if I do, I'll need to use the opportunity to recover mine and my husbands iTunes libraries as well, and I don't have the time, equipment or inclination to do that right now.
The other frustration is that the raunchy piece I wrote, which has had some very nice comments, has not really received a critical review. I want to post it on HH and have asked Mike, who basically runs the place, if this will be all right, as it is sexually explicit. But busy man that he is he hasn't managed to get back to me.
I've asked another friend to do a spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) check for me, which she's done. But I desperately want some serious critiquing. I'm worried people have read it, enjoyed it for the content, but not really made other comments. Perhaps there are none to make, perhaps I am being over cautious - I am a worrier by nature. Maybe I should just grasp the nettle and submit it anyway... I'll let you know what happens.
I received a couple of rejections in the last day or two. No big thing, it's part of what being a writer is about, I think. Take the rejection, see if there is anything in that can help you improve and move on.
One piece that was rejected was a short twisted piece, which was fun to write, but not me at my best. The other was a children's story I wrote after my son was born. It gathered dust on the hard drive for a few years, before I pulled it off and showed it to the others on HH. I made some quite heavy edits and when I was happy, I submitted it. Having it rejected is not what has bothered me... no, what has annoyed me is that for some reason, I think I have left the edited version on my desk top, which has died. I hope I haven't lost the story, taking a liberty I personalised the new version with the names of family and friends, it felt sort of appropriate to do.
Normally all my stories are on a USB stick and but I can't find this one. The question is now, can I revive the desktop one more time to get the story, and if I do, I'll need to use the opportunity to recover mine and my husbands iTunes libraries as well, and I don't have the time, equipment or inclination to do that right now.
The other frustration is that the raunchy piece I wrote, which has had some very nice comments, has not really received a critical review. I want to post it on HH and have asked Mike, who basically runs the place, if this will be all right, as it is sexually explicit. But busy man that he is he hasn't managed to get back to me.
I've asked another friend to do a spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) check for me, which she's done. But I desperately want some serious critiquing. I'm worried people have read it, enjoyed it for the content, but not really made other comments. Perhaps there are none to make, perhaps I am being over cautious - I am a worrier by nature. Maybe I should just grasp the nettle and submit it anyway... I'll let you know what happens.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Carried away.
Well, it was a productive weekend writing wise. The story I put on HotHouse (HH) has been met by some of my fellow writers with some honest comments about needing more content, which I am in full agreement with and am making my next task.
But I also treated myself to the writing a raunchy little piece called 'Homecoming Hunger' which was based on a poem I wrote last month. The poem rhymed, which seems to turn a lot of people off. But I seem to have a mental block when it come to creating verse, and it always comes out rhyming. The silly thing is that I can appreciate non-rhyming poetry, just can't write it.
The rhyme did indeed limit my creativity, and I spent ages with a pad trying re-write - to no avail. I tried to make it non-rhyming and that plain sucked (only in my opinion as I didn't care to share it). Anyway I blew it up into a 2,500 story (I had trouble limiting myself, so much did I enjoy the writing) and posted it on Writers Beat, in the adult forum I have to say, as it is sexually explicit and I have had some very nice feedback. It's got peoples temperature soaring anyway, which is what it's intended to do.
Anyway I better get back to work on that other one...
But I also treated myself to the writing a raunchy little piece called 'Homecoming Hunger' which was based on a poem I wrote last month. The poem rhymed, which seems to turn a lot of people off. But I seem to have a mental block when it come to creating verse, and it always comes out rhyming. The silly thing is that I can appreciate non-rhyming poetry, just can't write it.
The rhyme did indeed limit my creativity, and I spent ages with a pad trying re-write - to no avail. I tried to make it non-rhyming and that plain sucked (only in my opinion as I didn't care to share it). Anyway I blew it up into a 2,500 story (I had trouble limiting myself, so much did I enjoy the writing) and posted it on Writers Beat, in the adult forum I have to say, as it is sexually explicit and I have had some very nice feedback. It's got peoples temperature soaring anyway, which is what it's intended to do.
Anyway I better get back to work on that other one...
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Pruning and planting
It's Father's Day here in the UK. So perhaps it was unfair of me to expect a couple of hours peace from my husband as he took the children out of my hair, but in giving him a long lie-in, with only one of the children awake I got the time I needed so... hooray, I got the story finished and up on HotHouse for their thoughts.
Like every other time, now it's written I am already thinking if I could have added a little more weight to it, expanded in areas etc. But there is always the opportunity for improvement so I will wait for any comments and add my thoughts to the any re-work.
I love my style of working as like my ironing at home, I find editing a complete piece very therapeutic. Trimming back words here, embellishing stuff there. It's almost like gardening; pruning and planting.
Like every other time, now it's written I am already thinking if I could have added a little more weight to it, expanded in areas etc. But there is always the opportunity for improvement so I will wait for any comments and add my thoughts to the any re-work.
I love my style of working as like my ironing at home, I find editing a complete piece very therapeutic. Trimming back words here, embellishing stuff there. It's almost like gardening; pruning and planting.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Frustration...
It's a busy and emotional time at the moment at home and I am so tired that I haven't been able to give my writing much concentration. When I do sit down to bang out an idea I end up getting distracted and comb through the forums on Writers Beat, start a blog (oh yes, this was a distraction too) or I play a game I discovered on my computer, called 'Plants v's Zombies, which is quite engaging... anyway, much like the England football team (0-0 England v's Algeria 18/6/2010) I get frustrated with myself.
I have a new idea I am working on which I could tell you about verbally from start to finish - no problem. However, the minute I sit down before the keyboard all the words start dancing around and my sentence structure goes out the window as I try to arrange the order of the story. I get lost within the plot. I don't want it to end up in the ideas graveyard that is my flash drive, where there are now around 30 unfinished stories or incomplete plot ideas, so I need to sort myself out.
Saturday night is my one, allocated night off from writing so I doubt much will get done today. Hopefully though, after a good nights sleep I will wake up refreshed and recharged and if my husband is willing to watch the younglings for a couple of hours tomorrow I might be able to slink off and put something concrete together.
I have a new idea I am working on which I could tell you about verbally from start to finish - no problem. However, the minute I sit down before the keyboard all the words start dancing around and my sentence structure goes out the window as I try to arrange the order of the story. I get lost within the plot. I don't want it to end up in the ideas graveyard that is my flash drive, where there are now around 30 unfinished stories or incomplete plot ideas, so I need to sort myself out.
Saturday night is my one, allocated night off from writing so I doubt much will get done today. Hopefully though, after a good nights sleep I will wake up refreshed and recharged and if my husband is willing to watch the younglings for a couple of hours tomorrow I might be able to slink off and put something concrete together.
Friday, 18 June 2010
The first, historic acceptance!!
Mine, by Lorraine Sears - New Flesh Magazine, May 2010
So here would be the first and therefore most exciting acceptance to The New Flesh.
When I got the e-mail telling me New Flesh liked my piece I was, well the right words are hard to find, but ecstatic is as close as I can get.
HotHouse is a small group and between the other members we had already achieved six acceptances and I was beginning to think about quitting to give someone else a chance as my stuff obviously wasn't what people were looking for, and I wondered, compared to my fellow writers, who are all very talented, if it was good enough.
Which is why when I got the acceptance it was as much relief as it was joy.
Everyone on my mailing address book in e-mail was notified as well as the news being shared on my Facebook page. It was only a couple of weeks until the publication dated, and as soon as that arrived the link to the story was posted as well. I have to say a few of my family and friends were surprised when they read it. They had no idea of of the sort of stuff that goes on in my head, ha ha ha!
So here would be the first and therefore most exciting acceptance to The New Flesh.
When I got the e-mail telling me New Flesh liked my piece I was, well the right words are hard to find, but ecstatic is as close as I can get.
HotHouse is a small group and between the other members we had already achieved six acceptances and I was beginning to think about quitting to give someone else a chance as my stuff obviously wasn't what people were looking for, and I wondered, compared to my fellow writers, who are all very talented, if it was good enough.
Which is why when I got the acceptance it was as much relief as it was joy.
Everyone on my mailing address book in e-mail was notified as well as the news being shared on my Facebook page. It was only a couple of weeks until the publication dated, and as soon as that arrived the link to the story was posted as well. I have to say a few of my family and friends were surprised when they read it. They had no idea of of the sort of stuff that goes on in my head, ha ha ha!
Starting the journey.
Welcome to my blog! I don't know how you found your way here, but I'm grateful you did, and I hope you'll stick around.
So... why have I decided to start a blog? Well that's easy. I've always been interested in writing, but just recently I got really serious about it.
Earlier this year, I completed my first 84,000 word novel. Soul Reunion, a paranormal romance from a planned series called Soul Takers. The novel has been sent out to a handful of publishers and agents for consideration - so far two polite responses rejecting me. Nothing personal or horrible, just 'our books are full or closed'.
But even more recently I got back in to writing short fiction. I was invited to join a small, dedicated group of writers in a virtual writing sweatshop, appropriately names 'Hot House'. And since April 15th 2010, I have achieved the fantastic feat of six, well five and an extremely likely sixth acceptance for different pieces of fiction.
This blog is intended as a place to record my progress as a writer, share how I am doing and how I am feeling.
If you want to know a little about the woman behind the words, there's a bit in the intro, and I;m sure we can build on that as we go along..
So... why have I decided to start a blog? Well that's easy. I've always been interested in writing, but just recently I got really serious about it.
Earlier this year, I completed my first 84,000 word novel. Soul Reunion, a paranormal romance from a planned series called Soul Takers. The novel has been sent out to a handful of publishers and agents for consideration - so far two polite responses rejecting me. Nothing personal or horrible, just 'our books are full or closed'.
But even more recently I got back in to writing short fiction. I was invited to join a small, dedicated group of writers in a virtual writing sweatshop, appropriately names 'Hot House'. And since April 15th 2010, I have achieved the fantastic feat of six, well five and an extremely likely sixth acceptance for different pieces of fiction.
This blog is intended as a place to record my progress as a writer, share how I am doing and how I am feeling.
If you want to know a little about the woman behind the words, there's a bit in the intro, and I;m sure we can build on that as we go along..
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