Progress So Far

  • Romance writer - Historical. Contemporary and Intrigue
  • 2 books written for HarperImpulse

Thursday 24 September 2009

To Boldly Go...

I participated in the on-line e-chat with the HM&B Editors last night! It was fun and I even asked a question which they very kindly answered . (Sad to be so excited I know but it was my "first time" and I'm just a simple lassie).

Following the on-line discussion I'm definitely going to be entering my "creation" and see where I go - if anywhere. I've also decided to broaden my horizons - writing wise (hence the title of this blog.) I've squillions of ideas for books (well OK maybe about 30) and sometimes they all fight at once to get written. So for a change instead of writing the full book and then subbing to HM&B which is what I normally do, I've decided to write the first 3 chapters and a synopsis and see where I go. The two books fighting to go first are a (Historical) "Love Inspired" and an "Intrigue". Different genres for me completely - but they are both shouting at me to get out!

I haven't told the dh my plans yet. If he finds out that I'm attempting more books he'll go mad. He sits in the "finish one book at time" camp. Maybe he's right, I don't know - but I'll keep you updated. Take care. Caroline x

Wednesday 23 September 2009

M.I.A.

I've been a bit lax lately. Not writing either my current historical wip or my blog (although I have been blogging on my favourite blog sites (too much perhaps?!)

And the reason why? Well I have been trying to put together my HM&B 1st chapter and synopsis. I've finished it now - but in all honesty I don't know if I've written a Modern or a Modern Heat! It could quite easily sit in either camp! Now is that a good thing or a bad thing? Me thinks bad - it should be one or the other I would suggest. So I'm going to leave it for another week and re-visit it again to see what camp I think I should be writing in and tweek as necessary. I read both the Modern and Modern Heat because I love both the genres (+ HM&B Historical). Yowser this writing lark ain't easy you know! Take care. Caroline x

Monday 14 September 2009

Crows of Doubt...ever circling closer!

Eww! Gone through my HM&B contest first chapter - again (and again and again....you get the drift!) and I have concluded that it sucks!

Why? Well for the following reasons:
1. My initial optimism has been replaced by pessimism - in other words the crows of doubt have circled, landed, and have pecked me to pieces, and then they've flown off cackling to themselves.
2. No matter how many re-writes I do it still isn't working.
3. I seem to lack realistic dialogue. My H/h talk like something out of a (bad) 1950's B movie.
4. I've read recently about "character arc", "story arc", 3 point planning and I haven't a clue what they mean. I just write a story. Is that so bad? I don't know!


I've just whined to the darling dh. He's very supportive bless, and has just told me to submit it anyway. He's also reminded me that perhaps it's time to re-read my myriad of "How To Write" books. Yes me thinks Kate Walker needs to come off the bookshelf once more. Take care. Caroline x


Wednesday 9 September 2009

I'm back!

Phew! The old saying about needing a holiday to recover from the holiday isn't far wrong!

Sometime I wonder how on earth I used to live and work in London - and did so for 20 years! Four days staying with my best friend Kath and visiting with friends/relatives and I'm cream crackered! But saying that I had a great time - thanks Kath for being my best mate (26 years and counting) and being a fab host.

I did the Jack The Ripper Tour - highly recommended. Yes it was geared up for tourists. Yes there was a lot of other groups....but highly entertaining nonetheless and our guide wasn't the normal (resting) actor but a bona fide AUTHOR! I felt an instant empathy with her - she was very knowledgeable and has written a couple of books about JtheR as well as co-presenting a couple of documentaries on the History Channel.

I have to admit (I'm sure I'm not the only one) who has a macabre interest in JtheR. I've read a lot of books about him and have seen virtually every film etc, but seeing where all the murders took place was like putting the final pieces of a jigsaw all together.

But if there was one part of the tour I found the most fascinating, then it was the sheer scale of the poverty that was the norm in that area. People lived in such extreme poverty it beggars belief. The guide said that for 4 (old) pennies you could sleep the night away in a wooden coffin - sometimes with as many as 20 people in a room. If you couldn't afford 4 pennies then for 3 old pence men, women and children used to drape themselves over ropes that were strung up from one end of a room to other and sleep standing up! Sometimes there were as many as 50 people in a room all sleeping standing up. Can you imagine that - it really does make me shiver. As an EHO in the day job, it makes me proud to think that the founder of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health - Edwin Chadwick - was one of the few people who made a change in how people lived at that time - real pioneers in the fight for decent public health. Anyway enough ramblings for now. Gotta get that M&B Chapter polished as best I can and work on the (dreaded) synopsis. Take care. Caroline x

Wednesday 2 September 2009

On Manouvers - Londinium Here I Come!

Update: Mum is much better. Thanks for you kind comments.

Tomorrow I'm off to London for a girlie weekend - catching up with some old friends and some of dh's relatives. I've been looking forward to this for ages.

I've got a few things planned. My bestest friend in the whole wide world - Kath - has booked us in at a Spa for Friday and I've got a pedicure booked - lovely.

On Saturday I've booked us to go on a "Jack The Ripper Walk." Sounds macarbe I know but it's something I've always wanted to do - and I've been fascinated by JtheR since I was young. So hopefully as well as being scared witless I'll enjoy it as well. The tour starts at 7pm for about 2 hours and we walk around all the areas that JtheR haunted.

Sunday we plan to do one of those "tour bus" trips around London which is funny as I lived in London for 20 years and Kath still lives there. It's just that we never did the touristy bits! How sad is that.

Anyway I'm taking the camera - so hopefully will be able to get some piccis to post. Take care. Caroline x