Tag Archives: creative

I am writing

I am writing-seventeen

There are a number of book events scheduled this year. All subject to planning and travel arrangements. Each one is an opportunity to meet readers and share my work. Generally, these are really exciting and I have travelled up and down across the country; usually with my mum or a soul sister in tow as they’ve been my glamourous assistant.

I’ve not been doing these events very long, but I’ve certainly learned a lot by going to them. I’ve been to events where there sixty authors and beyond, as well as smaller events, with a third of that number. There are themed ones, and events where I’ve probably not been the best author for the job. There have been events which are genre and multi-genre; these have seen a massive diversity of readers.

I have largely found events to be welcome. There have been events where I might have been the only brown author, but this is changing, albeit slowly. I know that there lots of brown and black authors in the indie universe, it’s a case of where does one find them and are events accessible and open.

I did go to one event, where one reader took one look at me, at my books and walked off. Charming, is what I thought as I watched them walk away. I simply wasn’t their company of tea, and it was barely concealed.

Largely, readers will say hello, how you doing, what do you write. There are warm conversations, I share what I write and readers may take a risk. On the other hand, there are some book events that are huge, feel very closed shop and as though you have to be part of a club to get in. This can be off putting, and feeds the less than, imposter syndrome way of thinking. Events that have been around for years and gave a very specific focus. Not so much a fandom. In my experience fandoms are lovely, welcoming and people connect.

I’m looking forward to this years book events, each one feels like a mini adventure,

I am writing

I am writing-Sixteen

Pick a notebook, any notebook. What would you like to write and why?

Decisions, decisions, decisions. All those ideas, all those stories and so little time. Time was that I didn’t have such choices. I had an idea, sat down and wrote it till the story was done. What I didn’t bank on, was that other ideas could also turn up when you least expect it. Each one jockeying and clamouring for attention, and in need of titration.

That still happens. An idea arrives, germinates and for the most part gets written down into a notebook or becomes flash fiction in a notes app. I tend not to throw things away. Ideas get titrated, written down; i come back to them when I have a moment or a have figured out where I might go with a certain note or them. A lot gets collected.

I have a vague inventory of what I have, what I would eventually like to write. Nothing is cast aside. I do believe that I will get to the notes books and the stories within them, eventually. There is no knowing when might happen. One has to trust and follow the process.

I’m currently looking at the tail end of one story, three more have lined up for after. There are plans and potential avenues. Will take one thing at a time.

There a variety of notebooks, some that I have been gifted. Behind the Scenes started life in a James Bond -themed notebook that was gifted by brother in law. My sister has found me a blue fluffy, googly-eyed monster one. it’s cute and it’s cuddly, but no idea what put into it. Each notebook matters, each notebook is special and requires a special story to be housed within its page. Sometimes the notebooks hang around for a while, waiting for the perfect story.