Come away, oh human child
To the waters and the wild
With a fairy, hand in hand
For the world’s more full of weeping
Than you can understand
WB Yeats
Done! My Irish mystery novel is finished, at least the second draft, and sent off for a beta read. Eventually I added two sections totalling 5,000 words to bring it up to 70,000. I’ve had a lot of fun with this book, especially in exploring how to work in ghosts, myth and legend into a modern-day story. It will be interesting seeing how the average reader reacts to this mix. Have I gone over the top, especially as the story climaxes?
I take heart that I, personally, have never taken against a story for drifting into fantasy, but this introduction does, I think, have to be done correctly and in proper context. I recall reading one entertaining story a couple of years back when, without any explanation or apparent motive, three of the author’s characters suddenly developed different super powers. It just felt wrong as if the author suddenly decided to sprinkle his story with some different action. I didn’t like it a bit.
And the Winchester Writers’ Festival is coming up again, this year on 20-22 June. I’ll be there for sure having had a ball last year. My writer friends would do worse than consider popping along if practicable. You can book for the whole weekend (like I am) or for individual days. There are workshops, master classes, lectures and the all-important one-to-one interviews. These give you the chance of collaring influential people in the industry and getting free advice and having them have a look at your work.
This year I’ll have a completed manuscript to wave. It doesn’t mean that I’ll like what the experts have to say about it but I, for one, appreciated the advice I was given last year. Not so one poor delegate who, having had to borrow the course fee, was clearly hanging all her hopes on someone accepting her manuscript. Instead she was last seen heading away from the conference in tears. Hope can be destructive.
The Festival website is http://www.writersfestival.co.uk
Back On The Rock 
yay! Well done you!
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Thank you EBL 🙂
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BIG congratulations, Roy, on the completion of your second draft – quite an accomplishment. I’m very envious as I battle on with something that dreams of being a first draft, let alone a second! And I am sure you will have done something very clever with your ghostly modern myths! (That’s a regular feature in women’s magazine, how to be a modern myths…)
Best wishes from Susan
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Thank you Susan 🙂 Not so much modern myths as traditional myths breaking into a modern story. Don’t they take time though? How on earth writers like Cartland, Asimov etc found the time and energy to write many hundreds of books I’ll never know.
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Good for you, Roy – that’s a lot of work. Thanks for the reminder about the Winchester festival – I shall look it up and maybe come down for a day – would you recommend one day over another or does it depend on what’s going on? I’ll have a look at the programme.
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Thanks Jenny! As for Winchester Saturday is certainly the full-on day with lots happening. If I were to pick a single day that would be it.
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YAY! Congratulations, Roy. I can’t wait to read it 😀
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Thanks Dianne. If and when you do you’ll see where the concept came from 😉
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I’m so happy for you, Roy! Perseverance always pays off in the end…well done!
I’m so jealous of you and Jenny attending the Winchester festival. I hope one of you will blog about the experience.
Great job, Roy!
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Thank you Jill. It’s always great to get one ‘in the bag’ even with the realisation that there is work to do yet before it’s let loose. I’m hoping to enjoy Winchester even more this year now that I know the ropes and how things work with it.
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Congratulations on the completed manuscript Roy, good luck with it 🙂
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Hello Andrea and thank you, appreciated 🙂
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Congratulations 🙂
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Thank you Laura! Hope you’re well.
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I’m well thanks – apart from having writing withdrawal symptoms the last few weeks. I’ve been writing a few poems and short stories this week, hoping I’ll gain inspiration to go back to one part of Thorns that I’m stuck on
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Well done on the completion of your manuscript! I look forward to reading it- I like a mystery 🙂
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Thank you Letizia! I might be holding this one back to see if there is any interest in the Irish publishing world.
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Congrats on completing draft #2! I’m really looking forward to the day I can say I’ve completed draft #1. 🙂
And I still haven’t been to a writers’ conference yet. I feel weird about going to one before I’ve completed something. Is it common to find writers without finished novels at these things? My understanding is that a big selling point is the blue pencil and pitch sessions.
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Hi Janna, I was apprehensive about being out of my depth. But, on the whole, everybody fitted right in and I found myself able to contribute along with others. Funnily no one seems interested in anyone else’s ‘achievements’. I guess your ‘blue pencil and pitch’ are the one-to-ones – indeed lots of people target them trying to land a deal, or at least to get feedback. I ostentatiously piled my three shiny novels in front of me at each interview but the experts were only interested in current projects.
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Congratulations! The book sounds wonderful, and I agree with you that you can’t just suddenly spring supernatural elements on your readers. They need to know they’re coming.
I think your conference sounds wonderful, too. I’m going to miss a favorite one of mine this year, but maybe I’ll find another to attend.
I need to get back to writing my novel. I want to have as much fun with it as it sounds like you had with yours. I’m envious. 🙂
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Yes, I make sure my old house creaks and groans a bit and, sort of, lurks there. Only then do strange things start to happen 🙂 Whether it works or not I guess we’ll see! Yes, now I’ve got one ‘Winchester’ under my belt I sort of know the ropes and I’ll be better prepared. Can’t wait!
As for your novel Julie you need to stop still in one place first 🙂 I’m sure there’ll be an element of globe-trotting in the plot.
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Go, Roy! Can’t wait to check it out.
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It might be a while seeing the light of day Britt. I want to see if there’s any interest at all out there from publishers in this one.
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Just caught up with your news. Fantastic achievement. Wishing you well at that conference. I imagine its harder than ever to bag a publisher these days but you’ve already got a great track record with your other novels.
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Thanks RH. I’m going to give it a go but I won’t lose any sleep over it. Winchester is a great weekend – I believe it’s the one the trade particularly targets each year. Some great speakers and tutors. not to mention the socialising and networking.
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