Fame!

I attended my first author panel yesterday evening, and do you know, it wasn't so bad. Once I got the first sentence out, it seemed good fun. Knowing how nervous I was in spite of having six other authors alongside me, I can’t imagine what it must be like to walk into a hall alone and face 70-80 people as Philippa Gregory did at Alnwick last week.
But I suppose one can get used to anything.

Northumberland Libraries took a room in the Tankerville Arms Hotel, Wooler
since the local library did not have enough space to take everyone. As I said, there were six other authors besides me, and all of them had done this sort of thing before. If you look at the pic (perhaps enlarge it by clicking on it?) Prue Phillipson sits to the left, followed by Janet MacLeod Trotter, Anna Louise Lucia, Margaret Carr, Abigail Bosanko and Michelle Styles' attention has been caught by something on the information board!

Naturally, dh and I arrived ridiculously early, as we usually do. I always used to arrive dead on the minute for anything, but he has slowly got me around to his way of thinking. We covered the sixty-five miles across the sunny Northumberland landscape with no hold-ups. I was first there. Too eager, I know.

Diane Wright, the area Librarian, had everything set up, people arrived, and off we went. First topic – why was I drawn to write in my chosen genre? I gave a brief answer about loving reading, history and being a librarian which probably wasn’t too logical, but seemed to fit the bill. I can’t actually remember what I said, but Prue followed on seamlessly, and then on down the line. A chunk of infor from everyone and then on to the next person.

The next question was about selling the first book, and I’d got my breath back now listening to everyone else, and began to enjoy myself. Told the tale of dh scanning my typewritten pages into a computer for me, and of selling Banners of Alba in America and hearing that the publisher declared herself bankrupt the very day my book came out!

There was a break in the middle for nibbles, a glass of wine and the chance to mingle before back to part two. I shouldn’t have had the wine, for I could feel my cheeks flaring. Probably looked like a Dutch doll with a temperature, but by then it couldn’t be helped. Diane finally stopped us half an hour after the specified time, and when I left people were still buzzing and talking. Twenty nine people in the audience, and a very good evening. Congratulations, Diane on a well run evening. I can’t wait for the next one.

Style and technique

Spring has turned into a howling gale, so I'm done with the blossom pictures - there's hardly any blossom left!

This fire-engine turned up in our cul-de-sac this week. It seems someone had set the woods alight and this was the closest they could get to it. Can't have been much of a fire, thank goodness, since twenty minutes later they drove away.

Another incident was this rather large van trying to cross the too small bridge across the Tyne. There are large notices warning that the Victorian bridge is a mere 6 foot wide and there is a 3 ton weight limit on it, but these vans will try. This one couldn't even get on, and then caused chaos by reversing away from it with a queue of cars behind him.

But back to more writerly matters. Newbie authors/wannabee authors are often told 'read the line' or 'read the genre' to know what is required. There are certain difficulties with this, I find. First of all, the books we read are often two or three years old - but new enough to us - and the genre has changed and moved on in that time, especially since publishers are looking for something that will hit the shelves in one or two years time.

Also they always ask for something - you've guessed it - 'different.' Now I'm not saying that our plot would be identical to any particular published author, but if we learn the style of a famous author, and style is the thing we've been told to study, then how can we be different?

I suppose the answer would be 'learn the technique and develop your own style.' H'mmm. At first glance, style and technique seem very close. Sometimes, I suspect they might merge. At the othe end of the range, technique is a skill, a way of putting nouns and adverbs together so that the reader understands the message I want them to understand. Style is how it looks (reads).

For example, Dick Francis has a style I've mentioned before, applauding its brevity. Gabaldon has a style which is the exact opposite. Both are successful, both are suited to their particular genre, both are instantly recognizable. I think I've answered my own question - but what do you think?

Hexham Book Festival

Had a day out today at the Hexham Book Festival. Evidently I missed a great workshop on synopses yesterday, but today I learned a lot by listening to M&B author Sharon Kendrick in the morning and a trio of authors plus a senior editor in the afternoon.

Some of the stuff can be found on the website, but here are a few words of wisdom that stuck in my mind -

"Remember not to overplay the arrogance. Weave in layers of conflict. As one question is answered, a second is revealed. Signposts are necessary sometimes. Beware coincidences, especially trite ones. (I don't suppose anyone will own up to that one!) 'She stopped at the gate and wondered if Tino would remember her' was deemed an excellent opening hook. You need to know their characters inside out and their backstory so you can set up and be clear about the internal conflict."

And at last I think I know what internal conflict really is.

The afternoon session authors were Natasha Oakley, Michelle Styles and Sharon Kendrick.
They were informative and enthusiastic, and all agreed that M&B romances are character driven and that constant change keeps the books relevant to the next generation. Good motivation makes a book work, poor motivation can ruin excellent writing.

For M&B you need tunnel vision on the central romance. If something doesn't affect the romance, take it out. It's got no business being there. In case you wondered, the other woman scenario is deemed to be 'external conflict' because she is outside the central romance. But a woman who has been raped and has ongoing problems with any future relationship is internal conflict. So is a grasping, greedy step-mother who makes the hero suspect that

every woman is a gold digger.
Psychological conflict should mount in stages to the resolution, but takes a nose-dive at the Black Moment when all seems lost.

M&B are looking for new authors. They get around 1,500 submissions a year and they take on 1% of them. But all 3 ladies talking to us today came through via the dreaded slush pile. What will catch the eye? Great characterisation, good voice and Something Different.

Keep writing!