Greetings

[Barbara]

Hi All, a newbee here. I can't wait to participate on the forum. Just a view words to introduce myself: I'm Swiss, I live in Cambridgeshire, and I have just finished writing my first novel. I'm not a native English speaker, so I will try my best to keep my Swiss-glish to a minimum when I post here. I look forward to meeting you all. Happy Writing everyone.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Welcome to the Colony, Barbara.

 

[Barbara]

Welcome to the Colony, Barbara.

Thank you. Nice to meet you.

 

[Lex Black]

Welcome to the Colony!

 

[Barbara]

Welcome to the Colony!

Hi Lex, and thank you. It's exciting to be here.

 

[Rich.]

Swiss-glish is good; it's all Span-glish where I am. A healthy dose of mix-it-up-glish is good for a language. Welcome to the Colony, Barbara!

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Hello Well done on finishing a first novel. What sort of novel is it? Where in Switzerland are you here from?

 

[Barbara]

Swiss-glish is good; it's all Span-glish where I am. A healthy dose of mix-it-up-glish is good for a language. Welcome to the Colony, Barbara!

Hey, Rich. Thanks for the kind welcome. Your 'mix-it-up-glish' made me smile. I take it from your Span-glish comment that you live in the sun?

 

[Barbara]

Hello Well done on finishing a first novel. What sort of novel is it? Where in Switzerland are you here from?

Hi Katie, nice to meet you. It's a novel about an old lady who claims the Mafia is after her. I call it a playful mystery thriller. I'm from a tiny town near Lucerne. Been in the UK for ages though. Are you writing novels as well?

 

[Geoff]

Good evening Barbara and welcome to Litopia!

 

[Rich.]

Hey, Rich. ... I take it from your Span-glish comment that you live in the sun?

Yeah, but in the mountains not the beach. It's chilly now. Sunny but chilly.

I like the sound of your mystery thriller. Are you looking for agents/publishers now?

 

[Barbara]

Good evening Barbara and welcome to Litopia!

Thank you, Geoff.

 

[Barbara]

Yeah, but in the mountains not the beach. It's chilly now. Sunny but chilly.

I like the sound of your mystery thriller. Are you looking for agents/publishers now?

Spanish mountains ... nice!! And yes, the big agent/publisher hunt has begun. I'm assuming you had work published?

 

[Carol Rose]

Welcome!

 

[Barbara]

Thank you, Carol.

 

[Rich.]

Spanish mountains ... nice!! And yes, the big agent/publisher hunt has begun. I'm assuming you had work published?

A few encouraging rejections but not yet! I'm in the same place as you: one novel written and out on submission. Different genre though: historical fantasy... but also a thriller (a bit of a mashup of genres, in fact, which is probably why no one wants it!).

 

[Barbara]

A few encouraging rejections but not yet! I'm in the same place as you: one novel written and out on submission. Different genre though: historical fantasy... but also a thriller (a bit of a mashup of genres, in fact, which is probably why no one wants it!).

You mean, nobody wants it just YET. I'm sure you'll get there. Sometimes we have to wait for the market to catch up. I think genre mash up will become bigger evenutally. Have you thought of turning it into a movie script? Or a stage play, even? (I used to do some acting, hence this is my default thinking.) I've got the same problem with a kids novels I co-wrote. It really is for adults, but as an animated script it would work a treat. Might be a way to go?

 

[Ancora Imparo]

Welcome, Barbara. Carry on Swiss-glishing all you want! I'm Scottish, and if I wrote how I sounded... naebday wid unerstaun a wurrd... Good luck with your novel.

 

[Barbara]

Hey, Ancora. Thank you for your welcome. And I love you Scott-glish!

 

[Island Writer]

Hi Barbara - great to meet you and welcome to the colony! I've been a member for a long time... but am not as active as I once was as I'm now more focussed on the editorial side than on writing, but I still keep my hand in!

 

[Barbara]

Hi Barbara - great to meet you and welcome to the colony! I've been a member for a long time... but am not as active as I once was as I'm now more focussed on the editorial side than on writing, but I still keep my hand in!

Hi Island Writer, and thank you for your welcome.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Hi Katie, nice to meet you. It's a novel about an old lady who claims the Mafia is after her. I call it a playful mystery thriller. I'm from a tiny town near Lucerne. Been in the UK for ages though. Are you writing novels as well?

I have been to Lucerne It's what they call a 'cozy mystery.' Daisy Waugh has just published a novel in that category...The Prime of Ms Dolly Greene. Clearly there's a current market. Yes, I've got a finished novel, a grieving (and psychic) policeman with unfinished personal business, and an older finished one in a drawer that could work as its prequel or sequel.

 

[Barbara]

I have been to Lucerne It's what they call a 'cozy mystery.' Daisy Waugh has just published a novel in that category...The Prime of Ms Dolly Greene. Clearly there's a current market. Yes, I've got a finished novel, a grieving (and psychic) policeman with unfinished personal business, and an older finished one in a drawer that could work as its prequel or sequel.

Your psychic policeman novel sounds intriguing!! Is it published? If so, I'll track it down. Thanks for the Daisy Waugh info. I'll check her out. I've just started the agent hunt, and have also submitted the novel to the pop up submission event. I'm now trying to figure out how to watch the event live. I'm not a big facebooker and have never watched anything live on there. I'm assuming you've participated in the past? Do I just go onto the litopia FB site?

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Yes, you'll see when it goes live. You need to click on the toaster cartoon bit. The psychic policeman is not published. Yes, I've done 2 Pop-Ups. 2 different manuscripts. I found it incisive and useful to get that agent's take on which bits worked and where my blind spots might be. Instructions here: Pop-Up Submissions

 

[Barbara]

Yes, you'll see when it goes live. Not published. Yes, I've done 2 Pop-Ups. 2 different manuscripts. I found it incisive and useful to get that agent's take on which bits worked and where my blind spots might be. Instructions here: Pop-Up Submissions

Thank you for posting the link to the instructions, Katie. I hope you get your novel published soon. Will you take part in the Pop-Up this time too? I assume we can watch when they go through everyone else's work? If so I'll look out for yours. It sounds interesting.

 

[Barbara]

Yes, you'll see when it goes live. You need to click on the toaster cartoon bit.; Not published. Yes, I've done 2 Pop-Ups. 2 different manuscripts. I found it incisive and useful to get that agent's take on which bits worked and where my blind spots might be. Instructions here: Pop-Up Submissions

Appologies, Katie, something seems to have gone astray with my response to your last comment. Call me Clumsy-Fingers. Anyway, here it is again:
Thank you for posting the link to the instructions. I hope you get your novel published soon. Will you take part in the Pop-Up this time too? I assume we can watch when they go through everyone else's work? If so I'll look out for yours. It sounds interesting.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

I will be away tomorrow or I would listen in, though not submitting on this occasion. I had my turn, and others are waiting. It's well worth a listen even if you are not submitting. People sometimes log out after they've had 'their' turn, but it's an opportunity to study crafting because we get to see the scripts for ourselves while Peter is talking about them. They are taken down again immediately afterwards, to protect your intellectual property.

 

[Barbara]

I will be away tomorrow or I would listen in, though not submitting on this occasion. I had my turn, and others are waiting. It's well worth a listen even if you are not submitting. People sometimes log out after they've had 'their' turn, but it's an opportunity to study crafting because we get to see the scripts for ourselves while Peter is talking about them. They are taken down again immediately afterwards, to protect your intellectual property.

Sounds like a good learning opportunity! I'll definitely watch everyone else's. - If he runs out time, do we have to re-submit the week after, or does he continue where he's left off?

 

[Katie-Ellen]

He has soldiered on before and gone through the list, and spent 2+ hours doing so, but that's been possible because not everyone who subs then turns up and tunes in (can you believe it?)

I imagine if he was maxed, he'd simply roll the subs over to the next session. What says @AgentPete?

 

[Barbara]

He has soldiered on before and gone through the list, and spent 2+ hours doing so, but that's been possible because not everyone who subs then turns up and tunes in (can you believe it?)

I imagine if he was maxed, he'd simply roll the subs over to the next session. What says @AgentPete?

Wow. That's true dedication!! How do we let him know that we're there, and watching?