I'll be honest - when I started writing this blog, I didn't really have a clue what I was doing. I wasn't sure who might read it, if anyone at all, and I wasn't sure what to call myself - whether to be 'me', or the name I now use to write my novels, or to be incognito. The problem was that I was using both my own name and the pseudonym for writing, but my publisher had wanted me to keep the identity of the pseudonym strictly secret to begin with. So I decided to become The Write Woman, and use the blog to talk about writing issues and other things in general without revealing my identity.
A little later, my editor suggested it would be good to have a blog in the name of my pseudonym, so that I could tell people about the new books. So I started a second blog - which some of you may now know about - as Olivia Ryan. This is the name under which I've written my three most recent novels, and the blog is at http://oliviaryanblogspot.blogspot.com . I still use my own name - Sheila Norton - to write my short stories, and my first five novels were written under this name.
With the publication of my third Olivia Ryan book 'Tales From a Honeymoon Hotel' last month, my publisher decided it was now time for me to 'come out' and reveal my identity - which I must say has been a huge relief! Keeping it secret was quite difficult, although it has been a challenge and great fun in some ways, creating a new persona for myself. Writing the two blogs, and commenting on others, sometimes as Olivia and sometimes as the Write Woman, has also been confusing at times, as I tend to forget who I'm supposed to be! So I've decided it's going to be a hell of a lot easier, now, to 'come clean' on this blog too.
I've now been able to give talks in my local area as Olivia Ryan, and interviews in local papers about my 'dual identity', and I've found there's been quite a lot of interest in the whole subject of pseudonyms. So much so, that I approached Writers' Forum magazine about writing a feature on the subject, and have had agreement - which gives me another enjoyable writing project to work on. I'm very fortunate, for this, to have the help of my membership of the Romantic Novelists' Association - as several members have agreed to include a few lines about why they use their own pseudonyms, for the feature. It's been a surprise to me, to find out how many writers do use a pen-name - and how many use more than one!
So - now I've come clean - I'll probably use the Olivia Ryan blog for most of my postings. But I do feel a lot of loyalty towards this blog, as it was my introduction to the whole business of blogging, which has turned out to be easy and fun, so I'll no doubt still pop back over here from time to time! Meanwhile, thank you all for reading this blog - and I hope to see you over at Olivia's Oracle - http://oliviaryanblogspot.blogspot.com -
The Write Woman / Sheila / Olivia!
Friday, 7 August 2009
Friday, 17 July 2009
Being down ... and trying to come back up
I've been a bit quiet on the blogs recently. Despite my new book being published a couple of weeks ago, I've had some pretty painful setbacks to my writing career. So it's been difficult enough, being upbeat about the publication in public, while trying to stop myself panicking and becoming totally depressed in private - without the added problem of trying to think of anything positive to blog about!
Like anyone who's given up working in the 'real world' to become a full-time author, the knowledge that I could go back to a 'proper job' if necessary has always been there in the back of my mind - but again like anyone who loves their life as a writer, it's not a prospect I'm anxious to confront. I'm close enough to pension age to be fairly hopeful of managing to survive without having to brush off my office clothes and start looking at job vacancies again - but conversely, if it did become necessary to do so, I'm aware that having already been out of the workplace for a year, and being ... rather older than the average job applicant ... I wouldn't find it very easy.
These are difficult times for writers - as for every other profession. If we can hang on by any means, we need to be very grateful! So it was a tremendous relief, while battling with the 'blues' about my declining sales and lack of new contracts, to receive, within days of each other: a payment for foreign rights sales of two of my earlier books, (which had taken so long to come through, I'd almost forgotten about it); payment for a feature I wrote a couple of months ago; and three short story acceptances! (I shouldn't mention the one that was rejected at the same time - I'm trying to stay upbeat here, for a minute!).
Now, if every week could go like that, I certainly wouldn't be even considering looking for another job! If only, eh? If only!
Like anyone who's given up working in the 'real world' to become a full-time author, the knowledge that I could go back to a 'proper job' if necessary has always been there in the back of my mind - but again like anyone who loves their life as a writer, it's not a prospect I'm anxious to confront. I'm close enough to pension age to be fairly hopeful of managing to survive without having to brush off my office clothes and start looking at job vacancies again - but conversely, if it did become necessary to do so, I'm aware that having already been out of the workplace for a year, and being ... rather older than the average job applicant ... I wouldn't find it very easy.
These are difficult times for writers - as for every other profession. If we can hang on by any means, we need to be very grateful! So it was a tremendous relief, while battling with the 'blues' about my declining sales and lack of new contracts, to receive, within days of each other: a payment for foreign rights sales of two of my earlier books, (which had taken so long to come through, I'd almost forgotten about it); payment for a feature I wrote a couple of months ago; and three short story acceptances! (I shouldn't mention the one that was rejected at the same time - I'm trying to stay upbeat here, for a minute!).
Now, if every week could go like that, I certainly wouldn't be even considering looking for another job! If only, eh? If only!
Sunday, 28 June 2009
complementary copies
Can anyone remind me whether Woman's Weekly still send out complementary copies to contributers? They've bought a story from me recently, and it's been such a long time since I sold anything to them, I'm not sure whether it's still their practice to send out copies. Otherwise I'll start looking out for it every week!!
Thanks.
Thanks.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Strange stories!
I've just had a count-up, and found that I've got 13 short stories 'out there' at the moment, which is probably a record for me, (as I'm writing a new novel at the same time, despite not having a contract for it at the moment - but that's another story ...!). Of those 13 stories, two are definitely a bit strange. By that, I mean - they're not the kind of thing I normally write. One is set in Morocco, and links a Moroccan family with a couple of tourists. The other is a ghost story - and that is REALLY unusual for me!
I can only ever remember writing one ghost story before. It was while I was working at an old hospital, where the building was originally a workhouse. There was really supposed to be a ghost there - 'The Grey Lady', who was supposed to have lived (and presumably died!) in the workhouse. She had been seen (by quite a few reasonably rational people), wandering the wards and corridors of the hospital. In fact, there were so many stories circulating about her that I wrote a feature about the hospital ghost, and it was published in the local paper. But again that's another story! My ghost story was also set in a hospital - I wrote a lot of hospital stories at the time! - and concerned a female ghost who tried to stop girls, like the young nurses, from getting hurt by men - hah! that's a lifetime's work for anybody, even a ghost! She ended up fixing it so that the Nasty Bastard of the story got stung by a bee and went into anaphylactic shock in the hospital canteen. I can't remember anything else about the story - I must look it up, now I've started thinking about it!
Well, although that did get published, and I was quite fond of the story, I've never written another ghost story since - my short stories are mostly 'relationship based' (so are my novels, come to that) - but I suddenly had an urge, the other week, to write a humorous, contemporary ghost story. No idea where the urge came from, but I sat down and wrote it - just like that (as Tommy Cooper would have said) - and was pleased with the result. Whether or not the editor I've sent it to will feel the same way is, of course, another matter!
My point is - where do these urges come from? And why? Why did I just wake up one morning with the feeling I wanted to write a ghost story, when I'd only ever written one once before in my whole (long) life? Why, for instance, did I once, on a holiday in Tenerife years ago, suddenly decide to write a story about a lucky elephant, of all things? It was one of those rare, lucky events where the story just flowed like magic, was written in a couple of hours and was successful - but I didn't have a clue where the idea came from.
Well, considering that sometimes I'm totally stumped for what to write next, I suppose I should just be grateful that these weird ideas come out of the blue when I least expect them!
I can only ever remember writing one ghost story before. It was while I was working at an old hospital, where the building was originally a workhouse. There was really supposed to be a ghost there - 'The Grey Lady', who was supposed to have lived (and presumably died!) in the workhouse. She had been seen (by quite a few reasonably rational people), wandering the wards and corridors of the hospital. In fact, there were so many stories circulating about her that I wrote a feature about the hospital ghost, and it was published in the local paper. But again that's another story! My ghost story was also set in a hospital - I wrote a lot of hospital stories at the time! - and concerned a female ghost who tried to stop girls, like the young nurses, from getting hurt by men - hah! that's a lifetime's work for anybody, even a ghost! She ended up fixing it so that the Nasty Bastard of the story got stung by a bee and went into anaphylactic shock in the hospital canteen. I can't remember anything else about the story - I must look it up, now I've started thinking about it!
Well, although that did get published, and I was quite fond of the story, I've never written another ghost story since - my short stories are mostly 'relationship based' (so are my novels, come to that) - but I suddenly had an urge, the other week, to write a humorous, contemporary ghost story. No idea where the urge came from, but I sat down and wrote it - just like that (as Tommy Cooper would have said) - and was pleased with the result. Whether or not the editor I've sent it to will feel the same way is, of course, another matter!
My point is - where do these urges come from? And why? Why did I just wake up one morning with the feeling I wanted to write a ghost story, when I'd only ever written one once before in my whole (long) life? Why, for instance, did I once, on a holiday in Tenerife years ago, suddenly decide to write a story about a lucky elephant, of all things? It was one of those rare, lucky events where the story just flowed like magic, was written in a couple of hours and was successful - but I didn't have a clue where the idea came from.
Well, considering that sometimes I'm totally stumped for what to write next, I suppose I should just be grateful that these weird ideas come out of the blue when I least expect them!
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Writing competitions
Just two days after writing, in my last post, about my daughter's writing successes, I opened my new copy of 'Writing Magazine' and there was her name, on the competitions page - she's been short-listed again for another of her short stories! I felt just as excited as I do when I get any sort of acceptance myself - I knew it would give her some much-needed encouragement. And that's half the battle for all writers, isn't it - we so badly need reassurance, to be told that our writing isn't crap, that we're not wasting our time. Well - if we enjoy what we're doing I don't actually think we're ever wasting our time; but being told that what we've written is good, is surely our holy grail. It must be a hangover from school days - getting an A, or 10 out of 10, or a star, making us feel that our efforts are worthwhile.
I always mention the competitions in writing magazines, when I give talks about how to get started as a writer. I actually got started myself by entering them - and I know several other authors who did the same. I won a first prize in the very first competitions held by 'Writers' News', went on to win another one a couple of years later and was then awarded their 'Winner of Winners' shield for a year. I don't think they do this any more - but the boost of confidence it gave me was just immeasurable. I only started submitting stories to magazines after these wins: I started, finally, to believe in myself as a writer, having spent my entire life since childhood dreaming of being one but thinking it could never happen.
Looking back now, I feel some irritation at my own immaturity and lack of self confidence. How did I think it could ever happen, if I did nothing about it - didn't even try, didn't even attempt to learn how to go about it! It was almost as if I needed someone to give me permission to believe in myself: and those competitions did it for me.
I suspect that there are far more entrants now - I've no idea how many, but it must be thousands. The competition is surely far more fierce, the standard higher than ever - so my daughter has done brilliantly to have been shortlisted twice. As there are fewer and fewer markets these days for short stories, it's great that all the writing magazines give these opportunities for aspiring writers to succeed. They also teach us the converse and equally important lesson - that we will often not succeed; that even after several successes, we'll continue to have plenty of failures and rejections, that this is par for the course, and doesn't mean we're not as good as we were before, or that we should give up!
Like all of us, this still happens to me often - sometimes in the most depressing and disappointing ways. But while picking myself up and dusting myself down, I can at least look back to winning those competitions, and other exciting milestones along the way like having my first story accepted, my first book published. And hopefully there will always be new 'firsts' to celebrate - for instance, this month I had my first story published in 'Candis' magazine. And it's still a thrill!
So if you've never thought of entering a competition - go for it! And good luck.
I always mention the competitions in writing magazines, when I give talks about how to get started as a writer. I actually got started myself by entering them - and I know several other authors who did the same. I won a first prize in the very first competitions held by 'Writers' News', went on to win another one a couple of years later and was then awarded their 'Winner of Winners' shield for a year. I don't think they do this any more - but the boost of confidence it gave me was just immeasurable. I only started submitting stories to magazines after these wins: I started, finally, to believe in myself as a writer, having spent my entire life since childhood dreaming of being one but thinking it could never happen.
Looking back now, I feel some irritation at my own immaturity and lack of self confidence. How did I think it could ever happen, if I did nothing about it - didn't even try, didn't even attempt to learn how to go about it! It was almost as if I needed someone to give me permission to believe in myself: and those competitions did it for me.
I suspect that there are far more entrants now - I've no idea how many, but it must be thousands. The competition is surely far more fierce, the standard higher than ever - so my daughter has done brilliantly to have been shortlisted twice. As there are fewer and fewer markets these days for short stories, it's great that all the writing magazines give these opportunities for aspiring writers to succeed. They also teach us the converse and equally important lesson - that we will often not succeed; that even after several successes, we'll continue to have plenty of failures and rejections, that this is par for the course, and doesn't mean we're not as good as we were before, or that we should give up!
Like all of us, this still happens to me often - sometimes in the most depressing and disappointing ways. But while picking myself up and dusting myself down, I can at least look back to winning those competitions, and other exciting milestones along the way like having my first story accepted, my first book published. And hopefully there will always be new 'firsts' to celebrate - for instance, this month I had my first story published in 'Candis' magazine. And it's still a thrill!
So if you've never thought of entering a competition - go for it! And good luck.
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Marrakech - and chasing your dreams
We had a few days away last week: every year over the bank holiday at the end of May we do a 'city break' with a group of ten friends. We've done it for ten years now so it's become something of a tradition. We take it in turns to choose the destination, and this year it was Marrakech. Well yes, we enjoyed it, soaked up the culture and the atmosphere, nearly got run over by the motorbikes, frazzled in the heat, had the mandatory illnesses, suffered the inevitable delays at the airports, and arrived home (pretty much) safe and sound. And - this week I've written two new short stories - one about a Moroccan family and how they get involved in tourism, and the other about how another family is affected by an airport delay and a TV talent show. (I'll leave you to deduce the inspiration for that bit!). As usual, I'm pleased with the stories, but it remains to be seen whether anyone shares my enthusiasm!
One of my daughters is also a writer in her spare time - she has a full time job and commutes to London so she doesn't get a lot of it (spare time) - but she's done really well, writing a column in a local magazine as well as selling features to some nationals and being short-listed in a fiction competition. I keep reminding her that at her age, all I was doing was thinking 'one of these days when I've got time, I'll write a book', and doing nothing whatsoever about it. I had three small children but my problem was not having enough faith in myself as a writer, rather than lack of time.
Now, I'm in the fortunate position of being wholly employed as a writer. Not that it earns me a living, but I've been able to retire early from the day job. Sometimes I feel just a little bit guilty - I'm not quite OAP age, and not exactly decrepit yet, and I wonder if really, I ought to still be doing a 'proper job' and writing in my spare time, as I always did until a year or so ago. But then there comes a day, like yesterday, when I've got on top of the household chores and spent the whole of a beautiful sunny afternoon in the shade on my patio, working on my laptop, and the writing has gone really well, and - well, there's just no feeling like it in the world. And I end up deciding not to feel guilty that I'm finally, after all these years, doing what I've always really wanted to do.
And here's why. My dad looked forward to retiring for as long as I could remember, but he never reached retirement age - he died when he was only a year or so older than I am now. My maternal grandparents had only been retired for a couple of years when they both died in a road accident. I'm not making a sad story out of this! But I don't suppose I've ever completely got over the shock of losing any of them at such unfairly young ages ... my poor mum certainly never did, although she never became gloomy about it but got on and made the best of her life. For me, it's given me a certainty that we should, as far as is possible and taking into account our health and finances, do the things we really want to do while we're still able. If your dream is to take a special holiday, or to reduce your working hours, or to have a lovely wedding or start a family - or to take early retirement and concentrate on your writing! - whatever your dream is - don't put if off. As long as you can afford it, go for it. And be happy!
One of my daughters is also a writer in her spare time - she has a full time job and commutes to London so she doesn't get a lot of it (spare time) - but she's done really well, writing a column in a local magazine as well as selling features to some nationals and being short-listed in a fiction competition. I keep reminding her that at her age, all I was doing was thinking 'one of these days when I've got time, I'll write a book', and doing nothing whatsoever about it. I had three small children but my problem was not having enough faith in myself as a writer, rather than lack of time.
Now, I'm in the fortunate position of being wholly employed as a writer. Not that it earns me a living, but I've been able to retire early from the day job. Sometimes I feel just a little bit guilty - I'm not quite OAP age, and not exactly decrepit yet, and I wonder if really, I ought to still be doing a 'proper job' and writing in my spare time, as I always did until a year or so ago. But then there comes a day, like yesterday, when I've got on top of the household chores and spent the whole of a beautiful sunny afternoon in the shade on my patio, working on my laptop, and the writing has gone really well, and - well, there's just no feeling like it in the world. And I end up deciding not to feel guilty that I'm finally, after all these years, doing what I've always really wanted to do.
And here's why. My dad looked forward to retiring for as long as I could remember, but he never reached retirement age - he died when he was only a year or so older than I am now. My maternal grandparents had only been retired for a couple of years when they both died in a road accident. I'm not making a sad story out of this! But I don't suppose I've ever completely got over the shock of losing any of them at such unfairly young ages ... my poor mum certainly never did, although she never became gloomy about it but got on and made the best of her life. For me, it's given me a certainty that we should, as far as is possible and taking into account our health and finances, do the things we really want to do while we're still able. If your dream is to take a special holiday, or to reduce your working hours, or to have a lovely wedding or start a family - or to take early retirement and concentrate on your writing! - whatever your dream is - don't put if off. As long as you can afford it, go for it. And be happy!
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
Feedback
I sent two more stories to 'The People's Friend' the other week - as they've accepted, and published, a couple from me recently. Although they've still got some older ones under consideration, I was amazed and very chuffed to get a letter almost straight back (they still use snail-mail) about the two new ones. Not accepting either of them - but giving me some really useful feedback, including the offer of looking again at one of them if I was willing to re-write it. The editor had apparently really enjoyed it, but wanted to see it written in a different style, to appeal more to their readership.
Of course, I had the option of keeping the story as it was, and sending it to one of the other magazines (although, of course, they might all have hated it anyway!) - but I feel quite strongly that this sort of feedback is so valuable and the encouragement so wonderful (!) that I'd rather re-write the story and re-submit to PF. If they don't end up taking it, I can still submit the first version elsewhere, but I'm really hoping they like my re-worked version. And you know what? I've ended up liking the new version more than the original!
Feedback like this from magazine editors isn't very common these days - not surprising given the number of submissions they have to deal with - which makes me appreciate it all the more when it happens. Being given the opportunity to re-work and re-submit is like being handed a gift, and I think only a very foolish writer would say 'No way - I like my story/article/novel exactly the way it is and I'm not changing it for anyone'!
Speaking as someone who had to re-write almost an entire novel last year, believe me I do know how painful a re-write can be. But it's got to be worth it, if the end result is a better book, or a better story, or one that better meets the editor's requirements. And yes, my re-written novel did eventually get accepted for publication: it's the book that's being released in a couple of months' time.
Feedback can be good or bad (needless to say I've had both over the years!) - but I think it's always better than those dreaded standard rejection letters without any reason given. Do you agree?
Of course, I had the option of keeping the story as it was, and sending it to one of the other magazines (although, of course, they might all have hated it anyway!) - but I feel quite strongly that this sort of feedback is so valuable and the encouragement so wonderful (!) that I'd rather re-write the story and re-submit to PF. If they don't end up taking it, I can still submit the first version elsewhere, but I'm really hoping they like my re-worked version. And you know what? I've ended up liking the new version more than the original!
Feedback like this from magazine editors isn't very common these days - not surprising given the number of submissions they have to deal with - which makes me appreciate it all the more when it happens. Being given the opportunity to re-work and re-submit is like being handed a gift, and I think only a very foolish writer would say 'No way - I like my story/article/novel exactly the way it is and I'm not changing it for anyone'!
Speaking as someone who had to re-write almost an entire novel last year, believe me I do know how painful a re-write can be. But it's got to be worth it, if the end result is a better book, or a better story, or one that better meets the editor's requirements. And yes, my re-written novel did eventually get accepted for publication: it's the book that's being released in a couple of months' time.
Feedback can be good or bad (needless to say I've had both over the years!) - but I think it's always better than those dreaded standard rejection letters without any reason given. Do you agree?
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