I said I’d come back and blog about London and this year's AMBA lunch and so far I’ve notably failed to deliver, which I think we'd all agree is totally unlike me. (No snorting at the back, thank you) The reason for this is that I’ve returned home feeling quite spookily full of creative energy - as well as wine, chocolate and lovely pudding - and am desperate to throw myself wholeheartedly back into the book. Think this is probably the result of hanging out with fabulous writers and talking process, heroes, conflict and romance, and also because for a long time I’ve had a lot of other stuff cluttering up my head and stealing my writing time. Now, suddenly, my calendar is clear and my brain is working overtime. (If it could start having fascinating ground-breaking epiphanies about parts of the story I
haven't already written, that would be great.)
Anyway, in lieu of a proper report I'll leave you with some of the pitifully few photos I remembered to take...
Sharon Kendrick, Lynn Raye Harris, Karin Stoecker and Lucy King at the AMBA lunch (Just look at the glasses of water - aren't we all good? Or is it just that the wine has been knocked back already?)
Abby Green, pretending to be a paparazzo
My new favourite place to work.
If I don't post much in the next week or two, it's either a) an excellent sign that I'm fully immersed in the world of the book and am incapable of sensible comment. Or b) that I'm not, and am buried under the duvet with the biscuit tin. (Occasional clues as to which is applicable might possibly be available on Twitter.)
In the meantime - I'm definitely sparing a thought and a biscuit for those of you anxiously awaiting New Voices announcements and feedback. So many entries, so much talent - and so much courage for putting it out there. There might only be one winner, but for many people this is the first step on a great journey. My advice is don't be too worried about getting there quickly - just enjoy the scenery and the people you meet on the way.
7 comments:
Hi India,
Nice to see you back. Really enjoying 'Emily's Innocence' by the way.
The New Voices competition has been a bit of a rollercoaster and such a time bandit.
I have learned so much from the entries about what works and what doesn't and other peoples' views on that. My blog has got more traffic and followers, and I have met some lovely people through facebook.
Even though they keep telling us the rating system is broken, you can't help but check where your story is. Can you believe 769 entries as of 9.45 tonight?
Meanwhile my characters from 'Rosie's Mystery Man' have taken on a life of their own and disturb my sleep demanding to be heard! I guess that is just part of being a writer. Mx
Great photos! That train cabin looks like a fabulous place to work. Gotta get me one of those ;)
So very wonderful to have you back, India.
Lovely photo's and I still can't believe you travel like David Cameron...
Lots of love,
Rach.
XXX p.s NV seems to have closed at 824 entries. That's a LOT of fingernails!XX
824 entries!!!! That's 823 more than I was hoping for. ;) The next few days are going to be Very Anxious Indeed. But hey, if I don't get through (and with those odds, I probably won't), I'm still writing this story and I'll just submit the normal way.
Hello, India - after the AMBA lunch, I too was filled with an urgent longing to get back to my desk and start my new book, but now that I'm here, erm.....
Seriously, it was great to see you and all the other fabulous writers - and good luck to everyone who has entered the NEW VOICES competition.
xx
Hello ladies - thanks for your comments and I'm so SORRY for disappearing and not replying (always irritates me when people do that, so big apols for rudeness) I'm glad in lots of ways that the New Voices suspense is over, and am v v glad to hear you're determined to keep going Morton and Ros. The fabulous Maisey Yates wrote a great piece on her blog about Life After Contests, so if you haven't, go over and read it now!
My absence has been because I'm writing. I have a lot of words to get down and a lot of story to tell, but the great joy is that it's in my head and waiting (impatiently) to be told. So I'm not having to rely too much on non-existent self-discipline to keep myself at the keyboard. It's dealing with the outside demands on time that's the challenge. Might have to get one of these...
http://www.hunkerdownhomefurnishings.co.uk/product/A_Sign_P*ss_Off_I%27m_Busy_TG06#
Hi India,
Thanks for the Maisey Yates comment, the post you referred to is very encouraging.
Meanwhile, with my laptop blowing up (thankfully no files lost and typing on brand new super duppa machine) and not being listed in New Voices it has been a little difficult to keep up the motivation.
The third chapter of Rosie and Tanner made Ellie Swoop howl as I have included some things borrowed for our girlie experiences - I just hope other people will find them funny too.
M&B certainly know how to keep us hooked with promises of requests for further words from some writers and critiques for a lucky 10.
Hope your writing is going well - Emily's Innocence was great and I cried at the end! Mx
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