B.B. Taylor's Blog

I always use to hear people talk about ‘voice’ when they spoke about their writing and I never had a clue what they were going on about. (I’d just nod and smile …) I’d hear phrases like:

‘I’m looking for a story with a strong voice.’

‘I’m writing about a character with an unusual voice.’

‘The core of a story is with it’s voice.’

I really thought at one point they were on about how it was read out loud (no laughing, yes you! I’m being honest here).

But over the years I’ve come to understand though, that it actually is important to recognise, establish and evolve your voice when writing an story.

Because the voice of your story essential, it is in essence its soul. Every story you write will have a unique voice. You may have a style of voice that is recognisable or identifiable to you as an author, but the individual voice of each story you create helps give it a soul and bring it to life, helping to strengthen the plot and the connection a reader makes with it.

For me personally voice means a few things.

Firstly it relates to my characters. If I were to sit them down in a room how would they act, what would they say, how would they say it. Their body language, their dialect, their ethics and morals, all define their voice and how they influence and shape a stories core feel.

Next it draws on the flow and pace of my story. If the voice of my story is loud and demanding my pace and plot will be fast and loud itself with an opening that grabs you in and doesn’t let go, whereas if my voice is soft and delicate my story will start softly and pull the reader in, weaving the story more subtly charming them with its skill and beauty.

And of course there is the part of myself that I put into the story, whether subconsciously or not we impact our stories based on our own voice, our own story and our own experiences. A little piece of us, no matter how tiny, flavours the voice of the story we write and determines how it evolves and grows.

I’m sure voice will mean some different to anyone asked, but what I always ask myself now is:

Does the voice of my story feel authentic in relation to my plot?

Can the reader connect with the voice of my story?

Does my plot and my voice compliment or clash with each other?

If your voice doesn’t feel right to, will it feel right to the reader?

 

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and find your voice, the journey is different for each of us, but the goal is always the same. Find the right voice for you! Good Luck

 

 

First of all let me say congratulations.

Surprising to many, one of the biggest challenges when starting any new story is finishing it.

Many unfinished, much loved, half written manuscripts find their way into the forgotten draw for a variety of reasons, so being able to say you have finished your story, regardless of whatever happens next is a huge accomplishment.

So now you’ve written it, next stop …. a six figure publishing deal, a film deal and a theme park … Right?

Well I’m not saying that won’t happen, but it’s not the norm and you’ve got a few steps before that story is ready for the shelves of your local bookshop. The biggest failure for most stories is sending out a raw unedited story that could have been so much more (and many of us are guilty of this when we first start out.)

We often refer to our first draft of a story as ‘DRAFT ZERO’ This is because although it is a big accomplishment finishing your story, draft zero is often you telling the story to yourself, getting it onto paper and bringing its skeleton to life. That’s not to say it’s bad, although some authors will say their draft zero is often verbal spew they use to get the bones of the story down on the page. This is especially true if you are a PANTSER and not a PLOTTER.

A plotter is someone who will plan out their story before they begin writing it and will often have it structured and laid out before they even begin writing the story, whereas a pantser will often start a story will no clue of where it’s going and loves the thrill of discovering their story through exploring and writing their draft zero.

Regardless of how you get to the end of that draft zero, it is highly unlikely that your book will be ready for submission (although if it is congratulations and I am extremely envious of you)

Advice is always to let it sit at least for a few days, although some suggestions do say leaving it for months. (sometimes deadlines do not allow for this.)

Sit down with your manuscript and read it out loud. Your brain processes things differently in your head to when you read it out loud and it will show you things you won’t have noticed when you were writing it.

The first read in my opinion should always be as a reader, I do not alter anything the first read through and instead read it as a story, look at the voice, the flow, the pace. Does it make you want to keep reading? Ignore any grammatical errors etc, these can be fixed later. Make some notes afterwards of what stands out.

Next I change the font size, font type and colour where possible. Again this stops your brain from skimming over things and will help you to identify errors.

Round two for me is always structural edits. Are there any inconsistencies in my story? Are there any plot holes, or floppy bits where the story stalls? Make notes as you go through to help you identify any of these.

This can take two or three run throughs to correct these and sometimes they are little things, sometimes they are integral to the plot. Take your time and ensure these are right or they will make your story less believable to the reader.

Then we have line edits, formatting, spelling, grammar, punctuation etc. I also use this round as an opportunity to look for overused words, lines where the description is too long or too short or if any of the language doesn’t fit with the voice of the story.

Once I get to this point am I ready to submit? ….. errrr no not quite.

I then send my manuscript to a friend, critique group or editor for review and 9 times out of 10 they will have suggestions I have never thought of, or spot errors I have even noticed. A fresh pair of eyes is always valuable. I never send it to someone I know won’t be critical or honest.

Yes, it can be hard to hear your precious manuscript that you’ve poured your heart into isn’t perfect, however you don’t want to do yourself a disservice after coming this far. Grit your teeth take the feedback and use it to your advantage.

It could go back and forth several times and I often send it to more than one person to ensure it has been checked as thoroughly as possible.

Then come the final checks. I read it aloud once more, ensure that it feels right and doesn’t have any glaring errors, is presented professionally and save it ready for submission.

I only ever send a manuscript to one or two people for consideration at once and if  I get similar feedback from them, I will stop and review my manuscript before then sending it out again.

Before sending your manuscript out:

–Research the market, see where your story will fit on the shelves in the current market, what successful books could it be compared to but not identical to.

-Decide why your book fits in the market and where the demand for it would be.

-Research who you are sending it to. If they want a Picture Book and you’ve written a Young Adult Book, there is no point sending it to them and receiving an unnecessary rejection.

-Ensure you follow any submission guidelines, are polite and professional but not arrogant, starting your submission letter with ‘This is the best thing you will ever read and you will regret it if you pass it up’ is not the way to win over peoples hearts, but at the same time don’t under sell yourself. You’ve worked hard on this but confident but professional, ‘I would like submit my xxxxx of xxxxx words that I believe can be compared to both X and Y and would be appealing to x’

-Be prepared for rejection. A lot of success can be down to timing, market preferences, trends and just luck. Some of the most successful authors have been and still are rejected all the time. Persistence, networking (meeting people at events, workshops etc) and being able to accept that rejection is part of the journey are vital.

 

You are on the first step of an amazing journey of highs and lows. To have got this far you are awesome and you can do this, just don’t rush yourself and sell yourself short! Keep going and enjoy the adventure ahead!

We’ve all wanted to open that wardrobe door and escape into Narnia haven’t we? Well I certainly have!

Disappearing into another world that is built so beautifully, it doesn’t matter that it’s not real because it feels that it is with each page we turn.

A J Hartley has created his very own Narnia with Mirrors, that will leave you glancing at every mirror pass, looking from the corner of your eye, hoping to see something different.

We follow Darwen, who feels trapped between two worlds already, as he discovers another filled with monsters you’ll just love to add to your imagination, from Flittercakes to the Scrobblers, these new creatures and their world will have you wishing you could stay in their adventure forever. Darwen learns to navigate this new world while trying to adjust to a new life, in a new place, in a school he’d rather not attend. But as the story unfolds and he makes some unlikely friends, he realises his new life may hold more for him than he could have ever imagined.

Beautifully created and complimented with eye catching illustrations and designs, this is ideal for any fantasy lovers craving something new and fresh, but still with that classic fantasy feel.

Leaving you itching for the next instalment so you can divide back in!

Just be careful you don’t try and divide into your nearest mirror afterwards and bump your head.

Dark and entertaining, but not too dark. Monsters In the Mirror has the perfect balance, exploring friendship, identity and imagination to its fullest!

Illustrated by Manuel Sumberac and Published by UCLAN Monsters In the Mirror

You can learn more about the book and its creators here: https://uclanpublishing.com 

 

And here’s a sneak peek at Darwens World!

 

Being a writer can lead you down so many paths and especially in today’s digital age there are more paths than ever to choose from when it comes to publication. But each path has its pros and cons and many writers have fallen in the hidden pot holes along the way. So this article is to look at just a few of the roads to publishing for a writer, road blocks and all, from my own experience and opinions…

 

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING 

This is the one that most dream of, that will lead them to six figure deals and film deals … But is it really that simple? The answer is no. For some this is the case but not all and for many traditional publishing may not have been exactly what they were dreaming of.

The first and most important thing to remember about traditional publishing, is that they will not ask you for money. If a company claiming to be a traditional publisher asks you to contribute run for the hills in my opinion because they are not being transparent.

Traditional publishers come in all shapes and sizes from the big power houses that publish world wide right down to the smaller independent (or indie) presses. None of these will ask you for money to publish your book. In years gone by your publisher would pay you an advance to take your book which you would get in several payments, one on signing, one upon delivery of the book (after edits etc) and one upon release, then once enough books were sold (you earned out your advance) you would begin to earn royalties. Not all publishers do this any more, some do not pay advances but may offer better royalty terms, some offer a one off payment (more common in picture books, sometimes referred to as commissioning) and others will pay an advance which can range from as little as £500 right up to that dream six digit figure. But remember you still have to pay tax, and your agents commission (if you have an agent) To get to a lot of the bigger publishers you will need an agent (but that’s a whole different article!)

Different writers have varying opinions on what sort of traditional publisher to go with. The bigger publishers have access to the supermarkets and bigger marketing budgets, but the smaller presses are known to dedicate more time to each individual author and invest more support and ongoing help. So it’s often personal preference of which is better, what many agree on though is regardless of the size of the publisher, the author still has to make the book sell. More and more writers are needing to be more inventive and business minded to ensure their books are selling, from author visits, to social media there are lots of way’s for authors to connect with their reads but all involve getting themselves out there which can be quite hard for those who cherish their time hidden away writing.

 

SELF PUBLISHING 

Years ago self publishing was frowned upon as substandard and only done by those who couldn’t get a traditional publishing deal, but with the rise of the digital age and especially e-books and amazon the industry has shifted considerably, in fact many traditionally published authors have now become HYBRID authors choosing to publish both traditionally and self publish. That being said the range of quality does vary drastically and there are several ways to self publish.

The first way to self publish is to hire a company to assist you in this, there are many companies especially over the last decade that have been set up to guide you through the process and assist you with everything from editing, to design, the legal side of registering your book and even services for marketing and distribution, these services can range drastically in price and you will need to sell a lot of books before you break even and start to see a return on your investment. But these companies are transparent about the services they offer and the costs involved and you retain the copyright to your work.

The second way is through digital. Companies like Createspace, Lulu, KDP and Ingram have set up easy to use systems to help you publish your books which you retain the copyright for but not the ISBN (barcode), often free or on special offer using Print on demand so no need to buy books in large bulk (however you do pay more per book than buying in large quantities from a physical printing company). However, they do not edit, or quality control your work and to make your book stand out, it needs to be able to sit on the shelf next to any traditionally published book and hold its own. So whether it’s print on demand or e-book this is often the cheapest option with little investment, but can result in often rushed or incomplete work being put out there if you’re not careful. If you follow this route ensure you have done everything you can to ensure the quality of your work before releasing it. This can include beta readers, critique partners, advanced/sensitivity readers etc.

The third way is independent self publishing – This path requires a lot of time effort and research from the writer as well as knowledge of the industry and the market. You are essentially your own publisher, you take 100% of the cost and 100% of the risk. You wear all the hats and are in control of everything from ensuring it is professionally edited, designed, registered etc. You are in charge of quality control, marketing, distribution, everything a traditional publisher or publishing company would do for you is now on your shoulders and with all that investment you want it to work. A lot of people enter into this path unprepared. You have lots of choices whether you pay people to edit, design, market for you but you are responsible for ensuring you hire the right people and if you decide to do most of it yourself it can be incredibly time and energy consuming, but you do retain all control, all profits and it is all yours!  My advice if you enter down this route, don’t rush it, ensure it is the best it can be and that you have taken your time to do it right and have a book you can be proud of.

 

VANITY PUBLISHING 

This is the last one on my list and often one that is a cause of concern for me personally. A vanity publisher in my personal opinion is a printing company or self publishing company that pretends it is a traditional publisher. Remember anyone who offers you a contract that requires financial contribution from you is NOT a traditional publisher.

These companies are often not transparent, targetting inexperienced writers with very large promises, often none of which they fulfil. They have writers sign complex contracts which in some cases, leaves the writer owing large sums of money and loosing the copyright to their work.

They will often offer editing and design services of poor quality, marketing services which result in lack of sales and essentially overcharge for the supply of books (at a very high mark up) that the writer then has to try and sell to re-coup the costs.

Vanity publishers are in the business of printing books not selling them, that responsibility still lies with the writer and if the quality control has been poor, you are no better off than if you had done it all yourself at fraction of the cost.

 

The best piece of advice I can offer for anyone in doubt about a contract or offer – contact the Society of Authors, established in 1883 they are a union that support writers, illustrators and literary translators fighting for fair deals and protecting their rights https://www.societyofauthors.org

When I first began writing the world seemed very cold and the world of writing was a very scary place filled with self doubt and lots of closed doors and secret hand shakes. Sound familiar?

For many people when they begin on their journey it can feel like a very lonely path which can seem very daunting and isolating, it can lead to self-doubt and feeling like the path ahead is more like a road block than an actual way forward.

For me that all changed when I found my Tribe.

It’s phrase i’d often heard but had never truly understood until it happened to me. I still have self-doubt and the days aren’t always rosy, but now I realise that I’m not alone and i’ve found a family that gets me.

When I think of them I can’t help but let a dreamy smile escape.

I now know that I am safely surrounded by people who accept me, support me and understand the journey that I’m on. I’ll admit it took me a while to see how lucky I’d become, those fears of self-doubt and judgement can often hold you back from stepping forward. But my tribe were there to coax me out and help me believe in myself and my dreams.

A comforting shoulder when a rejection letter comes through, or a congratulatory hug when you get good news that’s still top secret, they rally round to help shout about your work and your successes and tell the world about the book you’ve poured your heart into and they do it because they understand and they care, not because they want anything in return.

I don’t need to name them or tell them everyday because they already know who they are, but without them I wouldn’t be where I am today and still continuing on my journey.

If you have a tribe or a place where you feel like you belong embrace it and nurture it, they will be there when you need them most x

So throughout December I posted top tips I thought might be useful to others on a group I’m part of …. A few people have asked me about these so I’ve complied them into a list, to make them easier to find.

Here’s my random list of top tips in no apparent order or relevance. If you have your own feel free to add them in the comments! (and feel free to ignore them too)

 

Social media can be an important way to connect with our audience, fellow creatives and the wider industry. But it can seem quite daunting and the rules of engagement are often changing. One simple way to do this is through Hashtags. By putting the hashtag symbol # directly before a word (no space) it makes it discoverable and searchable online. This means that people who may not follow you or haven’t met you can find your post and you can find theirs. For example #scbwicon18 is the hashtag for this years conference. By people adding this hashtag to their posts on social media it allows people to keep up to date with everything connected to it. By using hashtags relevant to your post it gives it a wider audience and amplifies the number of connections it can make. Some common ones used online at the moment are #scbwichat #amwriting#amediting #amcreating

 

An online presence is a great way to develop a digital footprint and become more visible to future readers and industry professionals. (Eg when they google your name you have a presence and you appear connected to your work etc) Blogs, twitter chats, sharing articles you’ve found useful are all good ways to build up a digital footprint, no matter where you are in your publication journey, you want to build up a meaningful and solid relationship with your followers.Remember, whatever you post or talk about online is potentially out there forever so ensure any opinions or posts you make are ones you are comfortable and happy with. Think about your motives for using social media and try to present the persona you wish the world and your future readers to see

The bell strikes at midnight, ushering a new year and a new me ….

Not quite. Unless I’m getting bitten by a radioactive spider or developing superpowers I’m still the same person I was before we welcomed the bells. But that eerie period from the twilight zone, you know the one that falls between Christmas and New Year? It does allow for reflection.

Without the awareness or days or times or even if I’m still in my Pj’s at 3pm it gives the necessary space to breathe, to let the mind wander and think.

Every year I see all these wonderfully positive posts with amazing new year resolutions and targets for the year ahead, but that isn’t for me. I can see why people do set targets to achieve but for me, I think it can be all consuming and in some cases damaging for your positive mental health, especially if those goals are unachievable or image related.

So does the new year mean a new me?

No. I am the same person I was and will be for the foreseeable future as far as I can see. But I do have some thoughts for the year ahead for myself rather than set resolutions or targets.

Kindness

– There is so much negativity out in the world. I want to see more kindness and if you want to see something in the wide world the best place to start is in my own little world. Little by little, smile by smile we can spread kindness and share positivity with those we meet. It doesn’t have to cost money, or even take up a lot of time. A simple hello, a smile or even a hug … the impact can change someones day.

Social Media 

– I have been following lots of debates on social media, it’s ethical issues and its power over us and it reaffirmed what I already felt. Social media should not control us. I personally need to feel the sun on my skin, hear the rustle of the trees and feel connected to the real world. Every time I press refresh to see what news updates there are or information i’ve missed out on, it feels like its draining a little more of my soul. Don’t get me wrong without social media I wouldn’t have met some of the most amazing people in my life, including most of my writing family, but it can’t dictate the terms of my existence. So as a cleansing for the soul I deleted all social media apps from my phone (except instagram which only seems to work on a phone and I don’t seem to feel as negativity about) I will instead be using it at set times on my terms and focussing more on what I love my writing, which often gets swamped in the draw of social media at times.

 

Love yourself 

– One of the hardest things to do in this world in my opinion, but I think also one of the most important. How can you be expected to love the world around you if you’re not taking care of yourself. Over the last year i’ve done little things like cutting out fizzy pop, fast food, tv (which makes me feel like a zombie most the time) except as a treat, which makes me enjoy it more when I finally do decide to splurge. I started taking time for myself even if it was five minutes here or there, I even started knitting (I know I’m very cool)

Adventure

– Whether it’s in the pages of a book, a walk down the park or backpacking round the world, adventure is important to me. It shows me that there is so much to life that I am yet to see and whether I have 5p or 5 million pounds there are adventures to be had.

Learn 

– To evolve, to grow to live life to the fullest I want to learn all I can. Whether its a new skill, an interesting fact or a new language the more I learn the more I want to know and the more motivated I feel. There is always something new to learn …

Memories 

– You can buy new things, but these come and go. Making memories gives me the armour and ammunition for the tough times. Building dens, baking cakes, climbing a tree … It doesn’t matter what I do to make those memories as long as when I close my eyes and think back to them I can feel my lips curling upwards and a warmth spreading through my body right to the tips of my fingers and toes. For me, memories are are one of the most important things I can but time into, I can can take them anywhere.

For the future ahead, I wish you all an adventure of your own that you can discover amazing new things, spread a little kindness and create those memories to help you through the rainy days. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, there is only one of you and you deserve to smile as much as possible this year.

Be good to yourself

So last weekend I was in Winchester for one of my favourite weekends of the year the annual SCBWI British Isles Conference. For anyone not sure what it is, the SCBWI is the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. With over 22,000 members world wide the British Isles is one of the largest chapters outside of the U.S.

Normally I slide about the conference in the background taking photos, videoing and tweeting so anyone not at the conference can keep up with the magic of the weekend. However this year I took the up the scary challenge of volunteering and being ‘responsible’ eeek! I even offered (sort of) to lead the legendary Friday Scrawl Crawl.

Extremely nervous of loosing people round winchester or possibly boring them to sleep, I headed down to Winchester on the Friday with my travelling companion the awesome Juliet Clare Bell, author of Don’t panic Annika and Benny’s Hat among her fantastic titles. Managing to get us safely there I headed to a secret undisclosed location known only as The Westgate to await my team of eager scrawlers.

Now I know the way to the heart of many is by looking organised and feeding people. So, armed with chocolate cakes and interactive leaflets I waited ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And people actually showed up! Including several illustrators who obviously hadn’t seen my attempts at stickmen. (they left after they had eaten some cake, to head over to Paul Morton and the creatively talented Sketch Crawl gang)

Looking at character, plot and setting. We explored Winchesters sensory delights taking our characters on shopping trips, through portals and into new adventures.

And I didn’t loose anyone!

They were all very nice for putting up with me and even indulged my games along the way. What an awesome bunch!

And what Friday night is complete without the Friday night Critique organised by Juliet Clare Bell and the Friday night meals (at various locations) After a productive critique session with an incredibly lovely bunch I headed down the town to another top secret location to spend a hilarious evening with the Words & Pictures gang for some delicious food! The Words & Pictures team work tirelessly throughout the year bringing SCBWI members industry insights, breaking news, interviews and behind the scenes updates on everything that goes on in the heart and soul of SCBWI, a bunch i’m so incredibly proud to have been welcomed into as their Celebrations page reporter.

(photo by Sarah Broadley)

But the weekend doesn’t officially open until Saturday morning with our opening speeches and key notes speakers. This years theme was travelling through time and what better speakers to have than the likes of Catherine Johnson and Benji Davies legends of the children’s book world!

Over 200 delegates attended the conference, a record number that seems to grow every year and Saturday was jam packed with workshops, lectures, one to one editorials and so much more! My favourites of the day were Submissions 101 with the absolutely fantastic Felicity Trew and Loosing the Plot with Princess rescuer legend Paula Harrison who has sold over a million books! I could have happily listened to them both all day. Felicity was so energetic the way she spoke about her bond with her authors and her approach to her work and the market. And Paula never fails to get my ideas flowing with her advice and guidance on dealing with tricky plots!

 

But Saturday wasn’t done there! We were only half way through in fact still with The Hook and the Saturday night party still to come! From watching brave fellow SCBWI members pitching to agents live on stage through to partying and cake, as well as celebrating Lorraine Gregory winner of this years coveted Crystal Kite Award! Saturday took me well into the early hours of Sunday, involving a large bowl of pretzels and a wander through the streets of Winchester dressed as a wizard!

 

After a few hours snoozing I was back at it again for another full day of fun from Christopher Edge taking us through Middle Grade adventures to the unstoppable duo Candy Gourlay and Mo O’Hara sharing their Secret top tips for school visits.

 

The weekend literally never stopped and Kid Lit Tv were on hand to catch it all!

Check out their videos through the link below!

https://www.facebook.com/KidLitTV/videos/567135993762663/

 

I was so sad to see it end and say goodbye to all the wonderful people I had shared such a magical weekend with but I must say I could easily sleep for a week. My brain is buzzing with ideas though and I’m already hoping to travel through time to next years conference! Counting down the days.

Thank you so much to the conference team, the organisers and all the volunteers you are my heroes. Without you there would be no conference!

So it’s nearly that time of year….

For anyone who doesn’t know why i’m so excited, it’s nearly time for the yearly SCBWI conference in Winchester. Where once a year writers, illustrators and creatives come together for an entire weekend of catching up, workshops, networking and learning new things.

If you are going and it’s your first time here are my 5 top tips for making the most of a fab weekend! (based on my experiences)

It’s ok to be nervous. Many people are nervous at meeting new people or new situations, it’s perfectly normal to feel this way. Just remember there are loads of amazing and friendly volunteers on hand throughout the weekend to help you and there is always a friendly face if you need anything at all. Don’t worry about not knowing anyone when you arrive, you’ll meet lots of new and amazing people throughout the weekend. There is usually always someone at the welcome area if you need any help at all and if you are worried about anything they are more than happy to help you.
Drink plenty. It can get quite hectic and even though its November it can get lovely and warm inside. You’re going to be having so much fun and wanting to fit as much in as possible but make sure you either take a bottle of water around with you or take regular breaks to grab a drink, a hydrated mind is a happy mind.
Snacks. Sweets, breakfast bars fruit. There will always be someone who forgot breakfast or needs that power boost through the day to keep those brains going. So I always carry some snacks around with me in case I or anyone I meet needs a pick me up (also a great way to bond with people. Kindness makes a difference in any situation I believe!)
Be prepared! Here is your excuse to get a shiny new notebook (not that you need an excuse) A notebook/ tablet/ phone /something to write/ draw with is useful to take down your thoughts as you go, trying to write up later from memory can be quite over whelming but jotting things down through the weekend whether its tips ideas names is always helpful.
Smile and enjoy! The weekend offers so many different things and many people go for completely different reasons. There will be people just starting out right through to people who have made full time careers out it, I doubt there are many other places you will find such a wealth of creativity, ideas and most importantly friendship and kindness. So head up, smile and enjoy the fun!

 

The weekend is jam packed with workshops, talks, social events and so much more. As well as meeting fellow creatives there will be numerous professionals about on the weekend.

Here are my top 3 tips for interacting with editors, agents and publishers.

PITCHING – There are many opportunities to share and pitch your work from 1-2-1’s to the fantastic hook, but remember industry professionals are people too and we need to respect their privacy, so no pitching in the toilets (there are usually signs saying Pitch Free Zone)
YOUR HOOK – you never know when you might get chatting to an editor, agent or publisher over a cup of tea or during networking, are you prepared for that million dollar question … ‘So what are you working on?’ Practice in front of a mirror or friends, a short and engaging elevator pitch, ideally no more that 3 lines long that you can easily remember and confidently say. It could be the door that opens to them wanting to know more later.
LISTEN- there will be lots of advice over the weekend about what people are looking for, these are to help you under the market and the industry, take notes and listen to the advice and tips being given it may be information you wouldn’t get elsewhere.

 

I can’t wait to see you all there!

 

 

 

There are the good days and then there are the not so good days. Sometimes it can feel quite frustrating when you just can’t get the words on the paper that you know you’re just dying to get down.

But it’s important to remember one thing.

IT’S OK

It’s perfectly normal to feel frustrated, but it’s also perfectly normal to have days where the words just won’t co-operate the way you want them to. Today was one of those days. I knew exactly where I wanted my story to go, I could picture as clear as being at the cinema watching it on the big screen, but would the words come? No they wouldn’t. No matter how hard I stared at that screen squinting in frustration.

We often find ourselves putting far too much pressure on ourselves, wanting to do well, to be successful and naturally to be the best that we can be, but can putting too much pressure on actually hinder our progress? I think so. In my opinion, the more pressure we put on ourselves the more energy we drain that we could be using to get one step closer to achieving our goals.

Maybe sometimes we need to close our eyes, breathe and take a step back to reflect on what we’re doing and all the things we’ve achieved so far. Quite often you will have achieved a lot more than you give yourself credit for. It’s very easy to forget all the good when there’s clouds blocking out the sun.

Don’t focus on the words that haven’t come yet, it’s like building a wall between you and them. Instead focus on the words you have got or the idea that pulls you to your story, help your mind to create a path that will help you collect the words along the way, naturally without feeling like you’re pulling teeth.

Think about your achievements, no matter how big or small, think about all of them whether they are related to the issue at hand they are still your achievements, be proud of them. Every milestone is a step forward and little steps can take you a very long way.

So, whether you’ve written one word, a thousand words or no words at all today, be proud of what you have managed to accomplish. Each day, if you can try and think of at least one good thing you’ve achieved no matter how small it may seem to you, hold on to it, for those ‘small’ achievements are yours and you earned them, make sure you remember that!

Try not to (if you can) compare yourself to other people, it is not a race and we are all on our own paths, all we can do is be the best we can be, but never be afraid to offer a hand to help someone up if you see them stumble on their path, the road doesn’t have to be lonely and an encouraging word or a simple smile can sometimes be the light that someone needs.

There’s nothing more anyone can ask of you, or you can ask of yourself except to try your best!