Who'd be a writer, eh?

It's getting a bit dire, isn't it - no blog post for two weeks. The trouble is, it's been so "nose to the grindstone" that I have blow-all to say for myself. However, lest we consider me lost for words... Oh perish the thought!

So, I will say this - if any of you who are not writers ask me if you should become a writer - seeking to be published - I will say "NO!!! Run for the hills and take up knitting instead!"

Seriously, I think if I'd known what was involved in trying to become a published author, I'd never have started. But it's from the innocence of not knowing that writers are indeed born. We have a dream, we feel a book within us that we feel must be shared and off we go. JK Rowling's billions may beckon us, as may the prospect of fame. Yes, well... Of such things are dreams made.

Here's the truth - it's a long hard slog and JKR was a phenomenon, not a usual occurence.
To become a published writer - and heaven knows, I'm not there yet - yet being the operative word - you need to have:
an awful lot of tenacity,
the ability to persevere, to rewrite and rewrite again,
the hide of a rhinocerous,
the patience of a saint,
the pushiness of a... well a pushmepullyou-thing,
and a determination that goes beyond the bounds of what is rational for Joe and Josephine Soap.

I'm quite convinced, at this stage, that becoming a rocket scientist is easier than becoming a published author.

But here's the thing - if this is what you want to do, if this is what you have to do - then you do it. You write, you edit, you rewrite, you ask for critiques from fellow writers, you support your fellow writers (okay, if you like you could go off and lurk in a lonely garret with a mangy mouse and some green cheese), but you work at it, you learn, you grow, you rewrite some more, you network, you enquire, you attend conferences and read books on writing and then you rewrite again. You may put aside one manuscript unfinished and start another. You may finish three manuscripts and realise they're all rubbish and move onto the fourth. But this is part of the journey and you just keep going, and going, and going.

And that, let me tell you, is just the start...

Those writers who are published or about to be published will tell you that getting the publishing deal doesn't mean it stops there - no, that's just the end of the beginning and still a long way from any sort of end.

So now, hands up all those who want to be writers? Hey?! Where'd you all go?!

I'm working on developing a thick hide...

Blog Action Day - Climate Change

One day this valley in which I live could be the ocean, and that world famous mountain could be just an island...

In thinking about climate change today, on Blog Action Day, I'm struck by the concept of "take care of today and tomorrow will take care of itself". The only problem is world leaders, multinational corporations, governments, civic bodies and individuals are not taking care of today in a way that even affords a tomorrow. Too much focus is on an unsustainable form of economic growth, whether for personal or national gain. It is a limited mentality and a myopic form of economic growth which forgets a global tomorrow - resulting in no future for future generations and a destructive future for the planet.

It is one thing to "live in the moment", it is quite another to live that moment in a manner which is unconscious of everything but the self and the now. Living in the moment is about living mindfully, living mindfully is about directing one's actions, not just for personal good but for greater good. Without the greater good, there can, in any event, be no personal good - the two are inseparable. To think and do otherwise is to negate the concepts of society and humankind per se.

We may see ourselves solely as individuals, but we are not, we are a collective, a whole - and a whole which is, whether we accept it or not, in unity with the planet. To forget that is to assure our own demise - and that of everything around us. This is not about "getting spiritual", this is about seeing life as it truly is and viewing it pragmatically. We are interdependent and the actions of one affects the other. To focus solely on "the one" is a fast path to a dead end.

In considering climate change, I am also struck by the short-sightedness of developing nations - my own being a prime case in point. "We, the developing world, expect money -- as of yesterday," said our esteemed minister of environmental affairs, while a cabinet spokesperson has said South Africa would not commit to emissions targets in Copenhagen. The country's long-term strategy sees local emissions peaking between 2020 and 2025, stabilising by 2035 and declining absolutely by 2050. Of course, this assumes we make it to 2050.

As one critic observed, this leaves South Africa "sounding like a petulant child that is ignorant of its own resources, opportunities and standing commitments." Never mind being a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, there are resources in this country that could go a long way to finding solutions - rather than just demanding handouts. Finger-pointing at developed nations is not part of the solution. The status quo is here and now. To adopt any other position is tantamount to shooting oneself in the foot - it's being part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Perhaps the esteemed minister and her colleagues need a lesson in unity and mindfulness. Oh, no, wait, this is South Africa, we're still stuck in the politics of race, never mind global unity and a single humankind.

Oh well... on that note let me point you towards some groups who are doing sterling work in promoting the desperate need for a shift in policy regarding climate change.

Avaaz

Friends of the Earth

Seal the Deal - the UN worldwide campaign on climate change

Greenpeace

Please consider signing at least one of the petitions and becoming part of the solution.

Back to the writing cave...

Well that was a short run of trying to be a more productive blogger, wasn’t it?! But I have good reason… I’m heading back into the writing cave!

You may recall that last year I sent my manuscript to the Cornerstones literary consultancy in London for a review – and received an eighteen page report telling me what was wrong with it. Devastation! But I gave myself some time and, taking on board all that had been said in the report, set about rewriting the story from scratch – keeping to the same basic idea but working on the actual writing style, tightening the plot, focusing on showing not telling, improving the pace, recreating the voice of my main character and improving characterization – and cutting out about 35 000 words, including a whole lot of unnecessary backstory.

A few weeks ago I sent the manuscript back for a second review and last week I had the report.

Shall we say I’m a happy camper? Shall we say I’m truly delighted? Yes, let’s – ‘cos I am! It was a terrifically affirming report, and a tremendous acknowledgement that all the hard work I’ve put in is paying off. The report includes phrases like “…you have real talent and this now a cracking story”, “a book with real potential”, “fast paced and gripping as any thriller could be, and atmospheric too” and, “a very promising novel”.

You have no idea how much that means given how close I was to chucking the story completely and trudging off to the bottom of the garden to eat worms for the remainder of my life. For the first time ever I feel like I am truly on the right track with my writing and as though I’m finally getting somewhere. They do say it takes the average person 10 years to get published… Let’s see, I’m now at year um, er…eight (admittedly five of those eight years was spent being very ill).

All that said, there is still work to be done and while the reader thought the last two thirds of the book worked really well, she’s recommended some changes to the first 50 pages. So that’s what I’ll be doing for the next little while. Which means, I'm afraid to say, that blogging will be taking a backseat yet again. A girl has to get her priorities sorted, you know.

I’m hugely fired up and I really do want to make this novel the best I possibly can. Once I’ve made the changes, I’ll send the manuscript back to Cornerstones and we’ll see where it goes from there. The reality is that few manuscripts are ever perfect, even when they’ve found an agent and publisher. The process is one of continual honing and continual learning, because writing, as much as anything, is a craft that can and must be learned if one is to succeed.

Meanwhile, in case you find yourself with the need to procrastinate (whaddayamean you never procrastinate...!?!) I’ve found a new way of creating stories which you may like to try… Browse through your bookshelves and see if you can create a short short-story using book titles…! Here are some of my attempts...

Sabriel, across the nightingale floor is how I live now. Just listen, the truth about forever proves time stops for no mouse.

Mister Monday, under the brilliance of the moon, Molly Moon's hypnotism and old magic caused the fall of Fergal.

Midnight, the Devil's kiss is parasite positive. Lirael gave a pure swift cry.