Sometimes it Pays to be Bold

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Image: Alliance Online

A good day. A very good day.

Workshop
I worked through and revised the final exercise on the Advanced Dialogue course. The next stage will come after the course, so I’m on my own. It will involve taking the plan we talked about in exercise 7, i.e., pulling the story together, and working it through to a conclusion.

It’s looking good that I’ll get a new novella out of it. I’ve no idea where it’s going to go with the plot but through the workshop it has developed into a very strong foundation. I’m going to complete it in exactly the same way that the first part of it was written and using the techniques and restrictions used in the workshop.

It’s exciting to have something so solid sprouting out of the course; I knew it was a good idea to do it so early in my writing year but never expected a novella to be growing out of it.

Emails
I wrote up and sent out a bunch of follow-up emails during the day. One of them was an approach to a contact I had been recommended I should get in touch with. He’s an agent/author and we write in similar genres and have similar views on e-book publishing.

Granted, it was a risky approach but it paid off (I think), because although he confirmed he definitely isn’t looking for new clients at the moment, he has offered to meet up for coffee and a chinwag. It can’t do any harm; sometimes it pays to be bold.

It’s been a mixed month; ups and downs, mostly ups. Looking at the month’s plan it seems lacking in fiction work, but taking into account the whole of my GDR plan for the next year, it’s actually a damn good start to my writing year. Here’s the breakdown…

Fiction
* Complete BACCARA BURNING – not started
* Submit and recycle fiction – not done; need to find a good submission tracker for the Mac
* Redraft new short fiction – not done
* Savvy Authors Course: Advanced Dialogue Workshop – complete

Poetry
* Complete London chapbook – not done
* Handover larger 6×9 print of Trees for Life charity exhibition – done
* Re-release POOLSIDE POETRY with new front cover – done
* Investigate possibility of publishers willing to look at back catalogue and future poetry in production – done

Editing
* Publish RR September issue (16) – done

Freelance
* Keep all my websites updated and relevant – news updates to CG site; dates updated
* Keep GGP website up to date – no updates requested
* Contact client re GGP Boudoir website – meeting requested; design decided, developed as far as can go without feedback and content
* Gig reviews: Toots and the Maytals – done
* 47 x Edinburgh Book Festival articles – done
* Alistair Darling book launch review – done
* Lit Salon article – done
* Approached by Driving School for website – information sent; waiting response to proceed

Marketing
* Continue to promote the Kindle books and new PP re-release – done
* Make contact with Elvis Shakespeare – not done
* Record and publish Podcast #2 – pending
* Form response to The Sky Project – done; committed to a visit with reading of poetry in October

Reading & Learning
* Register and active on Goodreads – updated regularly, integrated into blog
* THE FRY CHRONICLES by Stephen Fry – IP
* THE SECRET LIVES OF PEOPLE IN LOVE by Simon van Booy – IP
* ONE DAY by David Nicholls – read
* THE IMMACULATE HEART by Andrew Raymond Drennan – read
* HOW TO WRITE A DICK by Shaun Kaufman & Colleen Collins – read
* ORIGIN by JA Konrath – read
* SMOKEHEADS by Doug Johnstone – read
* SAWN-OFF TALES by David Gaffney – read
* SIREN by Alison Bruce – IP

Things That Turned Up
* Apple iMac installed, setup, data transferred and running fine
* Invited to event at The SKY Project – appearance scheduled for 27th October
* Possibly attending event to support Lizzy Siddall in Wishaw Library
* Attended Alastair Darling book event – good networking as well as entertaining
* Re-printed Trees for Life haiku for charity exhibition
* Attended first Edinburgh Literary Salon event
* Got through a lot of house DIY Work
* Invited to two new art exhibition openings

Submissions Activity Summary
No new submissions. Some good feedback on various short story returns, though.

Successes
* The Advanced Dialogue Workshop at Savvy Authors was of massive benefit. I took away a lot about story building, scene creation and of course, producing quality dialogue. There’s a new novella waiting to be completed as a result so it’s thumbs up all over on that one!
* POOLSIDE POETRY was re-released with a new front cover. Small amount of work with a big impact.
* Being invited to visit The SKY Project is a big thing for me, as not only will it be my first ever reading of my kids’ poetry to a live audience, but it will also be a big step forward in my whole public appearance thing.
* I took every networking opportunity open to me this last month, by attending the Literary salon and the Alistair Darling event then following up afterwards. Lots more to come, as with each one that happens there are new doors of opportunity opening.
* I have read a ridiculous number of books in September: 7. That’s pretty damn good for me as I usually only get through one or two at a push. It’s all thanks to me setting actual reading time aside as well as the ease of using a Kindle. I feel as though it is also feeding into my own work.

Failures
Never got started on BACCARA BURNING, which was a slight disappointment. I had to balance up the work on other things and the move to have one of my GDR Dreams come to fruition, so I had to adjust its priority. It’s a failure, however, purely because no progress was made, but if the dream becomes a reality (and it’s very close and likely) it will be massively beneficial to my life, my writing life and to how I can approach and carry out my writing. BACCARA will start in October, though, as I clear the slate to move forward after a hectic month of priority adjusting and hard work in other things.

Eating Out
I’ll be eating out tonight. The family are taking me to the newly refurbished Peacock Inn in Newhaven for some haddock and apple crumble (not together). It was my choice because today’s my 38th birthday. One step closer to 40; another year gone without having fully caved to becoming a “boring adult”. I’m a big kid; always have been, always will be.

Friday Vid
My Friday Vid this week is one you may have seen. If you haven’t brace yourself. It went viral last week after Bruce and Esther Huffman were accidentally video’d trying to figure out how to work the video function on their new laptop. The result was a hilarious insight to the never-ending battle between oldies and technology (and I mean that in the nicest possible way). If you can’t see this video, click here.

Have a great day; peace and out!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcN08Tg3PWw