Technical stuff

I’ve now done three reviews for and received two from YouWriteOn.

The reviews I received said much the same thing – too many characters introduced too early and not enough plot to hold the attention. I suspected the second fault but had no idea of the first, so that’s extremely helpful. I shall wait for a couple more reviews however, just to make sure they’re all on the same track, and because after you receive four reviews you’re allowed to look at your ratings.

Ratings are marks out of five for each of eight areas: characters, plot, pace and structure, language, voice, dialogue, setting, theme. The first reviewer very kindly put my scores in his review and I could see how helpful they are in pinpointing exactly where your weaknesses are.

I can’t say too much about the books I’ve reviewed because, even though you review and write under different names, the two personae are not kept separate on the site (which I think they should be), so my reviews can be traced back to me and this blog. What I will say though is that I suspect that two of the books were straight autobiography – which is disappointing.

Sorry, this is probably all a bit technical. Am I writing it for me or for you? A bit of both, I think - or rather hope.

All I want to do is sing

People pour scorn on The X-Factor* (and Frog - even though he doesn't pour scorn - won't watch it) but I love it.

I love the chance that you might come across someone with real talent. The frisson when someone sings from their soul. The characters (both sides of the judges’ bench).

I like watching people develop (or not). I find it fascinating seeing time and again that talent is not about perfection, it’s about honesty. That audiences respond above all to emotion.

And I identify with every one of the clichés that spring from the contestants’ lips: ‘When I sing I forget my troubles.’ ‘I can't do anything else.’ ‘All I want do is sing.’




* A television talent show

God's way of telling me to calm down

I wake at 4am with my head spinning so after a couple of hours of reading and trying to get back to sleep I go up to my writing room, switch on the computer, log on to YouWrite On and ask for a book to review. I’m on edge waiting for a second review of my book so while I wait I can build up my reading credits. (To get a review you have to give a review.)

I reject five books because I’m not interested in them and the site then refuses to give me any more. I have to wait twenty-four hours before I can request another book to review.

It didn’t tell me that before.

So now I’m stuck – nothing to review, no review to read and no novel to work on because there’s no point fiddling around with it until I have some more reviews.

I spend the day picking blackberries and sewing (and the sewing didn’t work out either).

I think it’s God’s way of telling me to calm down.

So exciting

Well, I’ve received and done my first review from/for YouWriteOn. It’s so exciting I can’t sleep and I’ve already had an idea (based on some of the points raised in the review I received) for completely restructuring the novel. This restructuring could get me out of the impasse I’m currently experiencing in the middle of the book. But I shall wait for some more reviews before making any changes.

I’m off to the sea now for a walk and pub lunch with Frog and Dog in an attempt to calm down.

Getting and giving feedback

A nerve-racking afternoon signing up to YouWriteOn. I dutifully read the Terms and Conditions but the only bit I took in was that all copyright in the writing I upload remains with me. That’s the only bit that matters to me. Does anyone understand Terms and Conditions except the lawyers who draw them up? I just have to trust that, because the site purports to be sponsored by the Arts Council and because I heard about it through Cornerstones Literary Consultancy who have given me two useful editorial reports (on the children’s novel and the autobiography), the site is kosher.

I printed out the text I’m going to upload - the first three chapters of the novel. Things always come across differently on the page from on screen, and it’s easier to see the thing as a whole when you print it out and actually hold the pages in your hand. I’ve read through it and made a few corrections and now I think I probably ought to leave it overnight and finish the process tomorrow. I might even get Frog to read it.

Not only am I looking forward to getting some feedback on my own writing, but I’m really looking forward to reading other people’s work and giving them feedback. I think it will be very helpful and interesting. And you say what genres you like so hopefully I won’t get anything too ghastly.

Murky soup

Another good day’s work on the beginning of the novel. I do enjoy this stage – working on writing that’s already been done – and find it so much easier than dreaming up scenes from scratch.

Not sure where I go from here though. While the beginning and end of the novel are fairly fixed, the middle is still a murky soup and I’m not looking forward to getting back into it.