It seems ‘a la mode’ to take a blogging break at some stage, or even to cut oneself free of all social media and indeed human interaction. Maybe go sit in a remote cave somewhere for a while and discover the meaning of life.
Well Northamptonshire in England’s East Midlands closely resembles an empty cave. Nevertheless I’ve been offered the use of a nice big house in a little village with a shop and rival pubs at either end of the High Street. There I will be spending a couple of weeks attacking my novel #5, working title ‘Michael’s story’. Like #4 this is a little mystery set in West Cork.
Ah, #4. This is the one I asked you lovely people for your advice on what to do with it. Well, a decision has been made. I can’t find within me the resolve to hawk it around agents, all that malarkey. Therefore I’m in the process of getting it proofread ‘as is’ and formatted, I’ll commission a nice cover and it will go out on Kindle – possibly also POD – in the next few months. But thank you everyone for helping me marshal my thoughts on this.
And finally, to celebrate my upcoming break from the (salaried) grindstone, I am offering my first novel Barry entirely free all next week. It’s not a bad little effort for a naive first-timer. Take advantage, pick it up.
See you all on the other side.
Back On The Rock 
Enjoy the break Roy. Sound like you have found a perfect ‘cave!’
Miss you already!
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At the moment, I’m in the middle of all that agent malarkey and am thinking very seriously of going down the alternative route with Kindle and POD. There’s often a defining moment when a person has had enough of something and I think that what happened this week might have helped me decide. This is the story …
An agent rejected my latest novel about six weeks ago. Fine. They can do that if they want. But then I got a second rejection from someone else in the same agency for the same submission. And to add to this, they said they enjoyed reading my sample 3 chapters, but were not offering me representation. Well, that would be okay, if I had sent them 3 chapters. I actually sent them the first 9,500 words instead as my chapters are very short. So did they read it? No.
End of rant … for now. You are doing the right thing.
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Hmm, that’s not good. At least you got some kind words Sarah. I honestly feel. deep down, that’s all I’d ever get. My mind was finally made up when I read (in the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook) that agents are even less likely to take on an ‘older’ writer as they have less of a potential career ahead of them. Fair comment.
I think I’ll forgo the miniscule hope of great success for peace of mind.
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But you don’t have to tell them how old you are when you submit the work. And it’s just another excuse on their part to reject people. Say if someone is 60 and they produce a novel every two years for the next decade or two, then that’s a lot of novels.
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To be fair I can see the logic. I know there are a huge number of retired people that have turned to writing and, if I was an agent or publisher, I would be looking for young and new blood not those of us that have had our day.
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A lovely big house to write in sounds perfect, especially in Northamptonshire. Especially near a few pubs for writing breaks. Have a good time, hope the writing goes well, you will be missed and we will be awaiting your return.
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Ah thank you Letizia 🙂
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Have a great break Roy, got my second rejection yesterday, but I’m still pushing on…for the moment (though I’ve been waiting 3 months to hear from a couple of agents)
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Thanks Andrea. Two rejections is nothing. I was planning on 50 before giving up but life’s too short.
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Enjoy your break Roy, lurching from one end of the High Street to the other! Seriously, hope the time off gives you inspiration to complete your writing task. Having a bit of time off this summer has made it difficult for me to get back into writing regularly again so I’m full of admiration for you. 🙂
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Thank you Jenny. Indeed I’m just not disciplined enough unless I get away. Jack Higgins (The Eagle Has Landed) lives here in Jersey in a beautiful apartment. But when he wants to write he books a room at the posh Hotel L’Horizon which is just across the road from him. I can’t afford to do that though!
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Have a good break, Roy and happy writing. Just be sure not to allow yourself to be too distracted by your new surroundings (or those rival pubs at the end of the street)! I’ll look forward to hearing about your progress when you return to cyberlife.
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Have a great break. I could do with one to get started writing again – haven’t picked up the pen/laptop since I came back from holiday, which I feel awful about. Need to make some time.
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Enjoy your break, Roy!
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I am now quite a fan of the writing retreat, Roy, so I wish you a lovely time. (I won’t call it a break, as mine certainly didn’t feel like that!) But it is a great opportunity to be entirely selfish about your time, and to set your own preferred writing routine (or un-routine, depending on your character!). I found that setting a target word-count each day gave me permission to stop writing and relax when that was done, otherwise I might have felt guilty about not writing while on a writing retreat, but perhaps that’s only because my character is 40% routine, 60% guilt!
Best wishes from Susan
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Thanks Susan. I can foresee a routine of morning runs, a full day’s writing, evenings with a few pints and a bite to eat. A huge break from my usual workdays. Plus I’ll pop over to see Mum in Birmingham and maybe catch the B’ham v Sheffield Wednesday match a week tomorrow. Can’t wait.
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Have a good break and remember even the big icon’s i.e. Stephen King write because they get a buzz out of it (not for the fame or money) and can’t do anything else. Keep writing and never give up, many people go the self published road and then when they get a few books under their belt someone picks them up. Most of all never stop believing in the stories you wish to share with the world Roy. Good luck with it all.
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Ah they are really kind thoughts Kay, thank you. I think I’ll enjoy my writing all the more without feeling the need to succeed.
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Roy think about how it makes you feel and why you first wanted to tell a story. Just keep writing them. You are way ahead of me. Im still learning the process of editing. Be proud of what you have achieved many people start but never finish.
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Thank you Kay. I’m not in the least discouraged though. And yes you’re right. I wrote ‘Barry’ to be able to say that I could complete a project, but then the enjoyment of the whole writing process took over. I’ll continue exactly on that basis.
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Happy to hear it.
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Enjoy your time away! I’m toying with the idea of taking a formal break from my blog–I just don’t have any time to read/write right now–but I’m managing with about one post a week.
I’m looking forward to reading your new book. Good luck with it!
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Thanks AMB. Yes I’m now happily holed up in rural England which I hope proves productive. Surprisingly the world keeps turning if you jump off once in a while 🙂
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A little village and a big house. Sounds like the right juxtaposition to me:). And shops with pubs too? You’re on one level of Heaven right now. Don’t forget it and enjoy!
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Thank you Kay – I could get very used to the village life.
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Just catching up with you but guessing you’re happily ensconced in your hermitage, enjoying the freedom it entails. Wishing you a fruitful couple of weeks. And wishing anyone who reads Barry, at least as much pleasure as I had from it.
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Ah thank you RH 🙂 Certainly I’m enjoying a bit of R&R, some running around the quiet tracks and lanes and shuttling between the rival pubs in the evening. I could get used to this life. I haven’t been so productive with the writing as yet but I’m not concerned – it will happen or it won’t.
A good take-up of ‘Barry’ – I’m still happy with that first naive effort. Maybe a sequel in due course!?
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I envy you. I’d love to get away from it all and focus on writing. Two things, no three things stopping me: work, family and little discipline to actually use that time to write instead of exploring.
Can’t wait to read number #4 and #5!!
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Well I’m family-less these days and I was due a two-week break from work anyway. Unfortunately the discipline hasn’t been there, but what the heck 🙂
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