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Fanfare! Litopian friend publishes children's novel

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Thank you for posting Katie! And thank you everyone for your messages of support!

I'm really shy so I hesitated to post it myself...:oops: Twitter is a hugely challenging place for an introvert - yet that's where it's at for literary types! Humph! So I would really appreciate any follows/likes/retweets. Not essential of course. ;)

Anyway, thank you all for being there for me. Litopia has been a life line in my darkest moments. Never give up. Keep submitting. If an MS isn't recognised as the masterpiece you know it is, store it and try something different. Just don't give up because you're talent will win through in the end.

Madz
 
Happy to retweet- but you need to tweet it first! What is your twitter handle? I'm alisongardiner1 if you want to link.
 
Madz said:
Thank you for posting Katie! And thank you everyone for your messages of support!

I'm really shy so I hesitated to post it myself...:oops: Twitter is a hugely challenging place for an introvert - yet that's where it's at for literary types! Humph! So I would really appreciate any follows/likes/retweets. Not essential of course. ;)

Anyway, thank you all for being there for me. Litopia has been a life line in my darkest moments. Never give up. Keep submitting. If an MS isn't recognised as the masterpiece you know it is, store it and try something different. Just don't give up because you're talent will win through in the end.

Madz
Click to expand...

So much congratulations, hugs and all! You must be over the moon! What great news, honestly! Once the madness dies down would you care to share your experience and how you finally got a publishing deal?
I´m a twitter freak so I will be looking you up and sharing your news! I´m claudiacvarias at twitter.
 
Quillwitch said:
So much congratulations, hugs and all! You must be over the moon! What great news, honestly! Once the madness dies down would you care to share your experience and how you finally got a publishing deal?
I´m a twitter freak so I will be looking you up and sharing your news! I´m claudiacvarias at twitter.
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Thank you and right back atcha!

I am over the moon but also very much overwhelmed. I've just started an MA in creative writing and I'm struggling a bit to keep up with the demands of the course, do all the publicity stuff Pan Mac wants and work on Book 2. But when I get a spare moment, I'd be happy to share.

Hope to see you on Twitter soon! :)
 
Congrats @Madz! :) I'm also doing a pretty intensive writing course (with Stephen Thompson at City Lit) and it is excellent but full on. Think we just have to count ourselves lucky that we get to do this. If we seriously didn't want to do it, we could just stop tomorrow. :D Anyway, just to say keep going and try to relax if you can. (Easier said than done!)
Good luck with the Pan Mac publicity! Sounds awesome. :)
 
Sea-shore said:
Congrats @Madz! :) I'm also doing a pretty intensive writing course (with Stephen Thompson at City Lit) and it is excellent but full on. Think we just have to count ourselves lucky that we get to do this. If we seriously didn't want to do it, we could just stop tomorrow. :D Anyway, just to say keep going and try to relax if you can. (Easier said than done!)
Good luck with the Pan Mac publicity! Sounds awesome. :)
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Anne that's so cool. Congrats! :cool: I'm still waiting for your Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon / Hunger Games style book. I'm sure it's going to kick ass!

You're right: we could quit but where's the fun in that? I've got my dad asking me when I'm going get a proper job again! :rolleyes:
 
Katie-Ellen Hazeldine said:
Maybe because it's due out January. Maybe @Madz will keep us posted when we can see summat. It is tweeted...I followed you, Claudia.
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You're right, Katie. Thanks. As soon as they release anything I'll post if anyone wants. But tbh I'm petrified of bad reviews. I mean, when you write something, you sort of write it for yourself , don't you? Then when it's published, it belongs to the big wide world and they can do with it as they please. Interesting times! :eek:
 
Madz said:
You're right: we could quit but where's the fun in that? I've got my dad asking me when I'm going get a proper job again! :rolleyes:
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Yep, not felt like quitting yet, but it feels better to know writing IS a choice. And I’m so grateful being a writer is actually a ‘thing’. LOL

I know what you mean. My husband is asking when the money is going to flow in instead of out. (Every time I buy a new book -10 this month - I say it’s for research. Not to mention the writing course fees...:eek::D)
 
Madz said:
Anne that's so cool. Congrats! :cool: I'm still waiting for your Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon / Hunger Games style book. I'm sure it's going to kick ass!
Click to expand...

Oh, *blush*:oops:. I put it away after Penguin RH didn’t put it forward to the next stage of WriteNow 2016. It took me three days for it to sink in that no, I wasn’t going to get a call from them saying they’ve made a terrible mistake. I haven’t touched it since. Unfortunately, it was not quite kicking ass. :D I want to do a total re-write in 3rd person, as first person trapped me into the head of the 15 year old main character; it was too restrictive for what I really want (epic sprawling fantasy in alternate Ancient China). I feel I’m not doing it justice just bashing it out. It’s going to need better writing and more time.

Thanks for your support.

Let us know where you’re doing signings etc I’ll try to come along to grab a copy and fangirl (that's a verb, right?:D )
 
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Sea-shore said:
Yep, not felt like quitting yet, but it feels better to know writing IS a choice. And I’m so grateful being a writer is actually a ‘thing’. LOL

I know what you mean. My husband is asking when the money is going to flow in instead of out. (Every time I buy a new book -10 this month - I say it’s for research. Not to mention the writing course fees...:eek::D)
Click to expand...
And the irony is that when you get published they'll be giving you books for free!
 
Sea-shore said:
Oh, *blush*:oops:. I put it away after Penguin RH didn’t put it forward to the next stage of WriteNow 2016. It took me three days for it to sink in that no, I wasn’t going to get a call from them saying they’ve made a terrible mistake. I haven’t touched it since. Unfortunately, it was not quite kicking ass. :D I want to do a total re-write in 3rd person, as first person trapped me into the head of the 15 year old main character; it was too restrictive for what I really want (epic sprawling fantasy in alternate Ancient China). I feel I’m not doing it justice just bashing it out. It’s going to need better writing and more time.

Thanks for your support.

Let us know where you’re doing signings etc I’ll try to come along to grab a copy and fangirl (that's a verb, right?:D)
Click to expand...

Aw thanks Anne! Seeing a fellow Litopian on book signing day would be everything! :)

That's the one thing I hate about this business. You could be the most awesome writer ever but if the Powers That Be don't connect with your idea, you end up thinking it's crap too. :( As writers we need sensitive hearts in order to get under the skin of our characters and yet that same gentle heart must put up with a hell of a lot of rejection and belittling. I had tonnes of agents tell me my writing was too 'childish' and 'unsophisticated' for the type of story I wanted to tell. Agents have made me cry, rage, and on occasion develop an existential crisis.

But then I met Penny Holroyde and I was lucky.

Anyway I think it's great that you're brave enough to try different things. I applied for my writing course before I got my book deal. I figured I just wasn't good enough. I still don't think I'm brilliant and I'm hungry to learn my craft. I think I read an interview with award winner Zadie Smith and I recall her saying that she's still trying to perfect her craft and she's never read a perfect book. So there's hope for us all!

Good luck!
 
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