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Welcome to my blog. The home page will always display the most recent blog post so please use the tabs to navigate your way around. Keep up to date by visiting the 'News' area. The 'Short Stories' area and the ‘Flash Fiction’ area contain everything produced thus far, and comments would be much appreciated! There are 'Book Reviews' for you to peruse as part of my project to diversify my reading list, in which I'd encourage you to leave your own recommendations, with authors welcome to suggest their own works! There's also my 'Blog' (in the truer sense). Thanks for visiting!

Monday 15 April 2013

Blog - 15/04/13

Hello there! This month has been a bit of a strange one.
 
The first thing to report is that Chapter One Promotions have been in contact. It was my first professional-ish phone call as ‘a writer’ and I have to say it was quite an experience. They apologised for the delay (they were moving office at the time) and we discussed what to do about my intentions to publish a version of the story. I’m glad I got to someone speak directly rather than go through a process of lengthy written correspondence as it meant we got to iron things out there and then and negotiate a solution.

The result is that my story will be included as part of the anthology. I wasn’t fully sure so it was nice to find out I’m going to have my first piece of writing up in print! Making the anthology can be a lengthy process though and I’ve been warned it could take up to two years to see it. The knock on effect is that I’ve agreed to give them first publishing rights. It makes sense, seeing as the competition was for previously unpublished works. If I were to put the story up on my blog before they produced the anthology it only takes one person to then read the anthology who’d already previously read my blog to start asking validity questions that could easier be avoided. Consequently it’ll be a while before you guys get to read it. Sorry about that.

It was an incredible feeling when I did eventually put the phone down. My heart beat was crazy and I was proper light headed, I just sat there for a long, long time trying to calm down! I think I managed to hold it together for the duration of the call though! Hopefully!

In terms of writing this month I’ve been going through a lengthy process of transferring my notes from my Blackberry. I’m the kind of person who’ll whip out his phone and take the note at the time inspiration strikes. You have no idea how many notes I’ve accumulated over the two years I’ve had this phone, it’s unreal – at least I’ll never have that problem of not having something to write about, I genuinely think I’ll die before I get to use half of it. Now of course you might say I’m being an idiot, and that I could just email it to myself or take the files off via usb, but you’d be wrong. As I’ve entered the last month on my contract my Blackberry has started to fall apart at a rate of knots and I’m basically losing functions by the hour! It’s a miracle I can even use the notepad, it’s one of the only programs that still opens without causing the phone to crash. Opening each file and transferring it by hand is the only way. I’m sorry Alicia Keys, but Blackberry? Never again.

Part of the reason it’s taking so long though is my own fault, looking over old notes and ideas causes one powerful nostalgic trip, from visually remembering the dreams they came from to working out if they could be applicable to a current piece of writing. I must look so dozy as I do it, sitting there all dream like, and it’s definitely taking at least five times as long as it would anyone else. It’s really quite enjoyable.

Then there was a sad point this month to hear that James Herbert, author of ‘The Rats’ series has passed away. When I was first getting back into reading he was one of the first authors I took a liking too. If I ever write any good horror stories he’ll be one of the reasons for it. His stories about David Ash, the paranormal investigator, have had a direct influence on a series I plan to write myself (It’s come from one of the ‘Three Words Post’ suggestions, see if you can guess which one.) and have been my favourite of his works. Sleep easy fella.

Also this month in non writing news I’ve been deep in training for the Bracknell Half-Marathon. It was going really well until a few injury problems started to crop up and at time of writing I’m not one hundred percent sure where I am. Injury has come at a crucial time because the race is only two weeks away so I’m tapering and can’t run the full distances. It’s all a bit of a mystery as to whether I’ll be able to finish it in my target time so wish me luck. I only mention it of course because I’m knackered and time writing has also coincided with time potentially sleeping... I like an excuse me.

And finally I got an email last night informing me that my Flash Fiction attempt didn’t make the short list (there goes the one hundred percent record) so at least you will have something new to read! I’ll be posting it on here May 1st so be sure to check back for that! Needless to say I was pretty down about it, after all it was my first formal rejection, but one man’s junk is another man’s treasure right? Hopefully a few of you may enjoy it. I’m probably only so chirpy about it because I received a copy of the contract from Chapter One Promotions this morning, which turned out to be a particularly good remedy! Until next time, buh-bye!

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