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Welcome

I started this blog in 2013 to share my reflections on reading, writing and psychology, along with my journey to become a published novelist.​  I soon graduated to about twenty book reviews a month and a weekly 99-word story. Ten years later, I've transferred my writing / publication updates to my new website but will continue here with occasional reviews and flash fiction pieces, and maybe the odd personal post.

ANNE GOODWIN'S WRITING NEWS

Welcome to the real world as the blog tour enters week 4

10/8/2015

12 Comments

 
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It’s been another hectic week on the blog tour: sharing the novels that have helped me find a mind of my own  with Urszula Humienik; examining how contemporary novels feature scientific research with Gargi Mehra; talking attachment with Safia Moore stemming from my character’s difficulty in “telling a story about when you were a little girl”; confessing and commiserating with Clare O’Dea regarding our shared difficulty in  articulating what our novel’s about; to come to port on Friday with Lori Schafer to address the question of how much my novel might be autobiographical.

After my weekend in a virtual California, I’m heading northward today to join lead buckaroo, Charli Mills on her fabulous Carrot Ranch in Idaho. She’d already set my place at the table with this lovely introduction on her blog. I’m heading back to the UK for the rest of the week, stopping off first with novelist and psychologist Voula Grand, who was the first to feature in my series Psychologists Write, to explore a shared interest in transgenerational trauma, both on and off the page. Then it’s a second guest post (the first, on Day One of the tour, being on debuting as an older author) with my publishers, Inspired Quill, to reveal my responses to the thoughtful questions put to me by one of the team, Hannah Drury. With all this travelling I wonder if I’ll have time to tidy up before Thursday, when I’ll be showing everyone around my Writers’ Room, courtesy of novelist, former prison governor and Costa Short Story Award winner, Avril Joy. Friday, I’ll be hot-footing it to London to join novelist, blogging addict and reader of an early version of Sugar and Snails, Geoff LePard, for a post on how walking facilitates my writing with, hopefully, a few photographs of the walk that features in my novel. (Yikes, did he realise that’s the day he launches his second novel, My Father and Other Liars, or is his attention to me an excuse to avoid a launch party?)

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It’s interesting – I won’t say ironic – that today’s guest post on capitalising on the opportunities to promote your novel follows my first taste of authorial disappointment. I’d been looking forward to sharing a stall on Saturday with my Inspired Quill stablemate, Tracey Scott-Townsend, at the inaugural Books in the Castle Festival in Newark on Trent. While I thought I was going along with an open mind, to enjoy and learn from my first such experience, I think the roaring success of my two book launches, along with a clutch of enthusiastic reviews, had unduly raised my expectations (forgetting that one huge leap for Anne, is a teeny tiny step for womankind). So, after wheeling a case full of books from the car park (with a few more in the boot just in case), I realised the honeymoon was over when I sold two books over a period of over six hours, only one of which was to someone I didn’t already know.

Of course there were compensations: catching up with Tracey; meeting a former work colleague; trying out the two-jars experiment that features in my novel; the beautiful setting in the (rare this year) summer sunshine. While I did have some pleasant conversations with readers, and a few took my card with the (I think genuine) intention to buy the e-book, it was exhausting trying to engage as pleasantly with others who not only weren’t interested in my book but didn’t seem interested in any book at all. Fortunately for the future of the festival, some other stallholders – especially the crime writers – were more successful, although we did encounter some better-known names who didn’t fare significantly better than I did.

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As I began to wilt towards the end of the day, reminding myself most writers have to face this at times didn’t help revive me. There’s a huge difference between knowing something in theory and experiencing it oneself. Up until then I’d been loving being an author. I had a long way to fall.

Yet I did enjoy interacting with other writers as a fellow author, and the camaraderie among the troops was almost sufficient compensation. We reassured ourselves that you never know what impact your presence at an event might have in the future in terms of getting your name and book known. When Newark grows as big as Hay, we’ll be proud to have been there from the beginning. We reminded ourselves that a reader who is one of only two is just as important as the reader who’s one of forty-two, or two thousand. The professional writer doesn’t sulk.

So I had a day out, learnt a lot and made some valuable connections, and sold a couple of books. But I can’t pretend I wasn’t disappointed. Or perhaps I was just tired? It wasn’t so much that the sales I made weren’t sufficient to cover the cost of the car park (which was actually quite low for a full day), nor that in the time spent there I could have found another half-dozen potential reviewers for my novel, but that the emotional effort far outweighed what I’d achieved. For all that I might relish socialising with readers and writers, for an introvert, it’s extremely draining, and I resented the prospect of spending my Sunday in recovery with little to show for it. So I was pleasantly surprised when, reflecting on this as I harvested redcurrants for breakfast in the morning, an idea crept into my head regarding Charli’s latest flash fiction challenge.

It was news to me that stories in which someone runs over a deer and nurses it back to health are considered a cliché, a too easy metaphor for the person’s desire to fix themselves. Not being much of an animal person, I don’t have many animal stories (Shaggy Dog Story the only exception that comes to mind), but there is a cat in Sugar and Snails. A reader emailed me recently to ask whether Marmaduke would be mistreated as, if so, she wouldn’t want to read on. Again, this was something I hadn’t considered in the writing (perhaps I’ll have to write a post about the role of the cat), but, on the back of Charli’s prompt, it did lead me to wonder about a future society in which concern for animal welfare is taken to the extreme:

The deer doesn’t stir as Harry strokes her cheek. “We’re fucked!”

I want to reassure the boy, but fear wipes the smile from my face.

How right it felt initially. Save the animals and we save ourselves. Suddenly it was cool to be Green. Or Jain, strips of gauze across our mouths lest we inadvertently swallow a fly.

New laws brought the laggards into line. A life for a life and hang the hunters to save the planet. No leniency for plain bad luck.

Yet the doe’s still breathing. “Come on, son, we’re gonna nurse her back to health.”

Is this another cliché? Do let me know what you think. And if you can follow me on this week’s tour, don’t forget to give me and my hosts a wave.

Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
12 Comments
Sarah link
10/8/2015 09:16:40 am

Well, let me get this out of the way and say that that is THE BEST PLACE EVER to have a book fair! Gorgeous!

So, as Charli said on her blog (and you say here), it was successful in the sense that you've learned something from this. And I'm glad you enjoyed part of the day. How could you not? The weather, fellow authors, THE CASTLE! ;-)

Absolutely love the flash. Are you turning to the dark side, dear? Sounds a bit like YA Dystopian.

Reply
Annecdotist
10/8/2015 11:45:41 am

You're right, Sarah, it's a fabulous setting and, on that basis at least, the festival ought to grow in popularity.
Ha, as to the flash, I thought I was already well mired within the dark side, although perhaps why a dystopian takes it to another level.

Reply
Charli Mills
10/8/2015 05:31:47 pm

Ha, ha! I thought the same things, too, Sarah! A castle? Books? Cool! But somehow I don't think people like us showed up. Something is missing from the attendee mix, a problem for the event planners to resolve and Anne's take-away can be to quiz future event planners about how they attract attendees and what motivates purchases. Maybe they need more interaction like a festival atmosphere -- knights jousting? Brewing apple cider?

Reply
Annecdotist
11/8/2015 09:55:26 am

I think the organiser of this festival did a magnificent job pulling off what he did virtually single-handed, so the learning curve was as steep for him as it was for me. I'm sure it will be better advertised next year, but a downside of the wonderful setting was that it's a public park, so anyone can wander through – a real advantage in attracting people on a pleasant summer's day, but a bit confusing for people like me who hadn't got it into my head properly that not everyone would be there for the books. In this case, I'm not sure that I could have found out much more in advance (although it is a learning point for attending other more established events) and I was very pleased to have an opportunity to be there – I think it was more about me still being up in the clouds after two extremely successful launch parties. And disappointment isn't necessarily a bad thing if it's an indicator of high expectations that might motivate me to work hard to get my book out in the world.

Charli Mills
10/8/2015 05:28:40 pm

I think if nursing a struck deer back to life is cliche, you've given your flash sufficient twists. I'm curious about the characters, the trouble they seem to be in and the world order they live under. Sometimes it does seem we are headed to this extreme. I read more than a few comments because of the illegal trophy lion shooting that all had more to do with animal cruelty than legal issues or economic circumstances between poverty in Africa and elite wealth of those who hunt there. Interesting story to ponder over picking red currants!

In my opinion, any book event held in a castle couldn't be a bummer! However, I understand the introvert response. In part it might be your disappointment coupled with your incredible pace. It was your first marketing hiccup. What you lack in sales, gain in insights. Next event like this, ask about who attends and why. It sounds like the event planners have a great idea but have not necessarily attracted the most responsive crowd. This will help you better understand who your target audience is and what motivates a reader to buy your book.

Have a great week 4 and I'll catch you back over at the ranch! I'm so pleased you could visit Idaho! :-)

Reply
Annecdotist
11/8/2015 09:58:20 am

Oops, I think I've responded to most of this in the space above, but thanks for the feedback on my flash and great to be over at the Ranch this week with a more positive can-do post!

Reply
Derbhile link
11/8/2015 01:15:31 am

The professional writer doesn't sulk. I've taken on board that lesson. Thanks.

Reply
Annecdotist
11/8/2015 10:00:00 am

Ha, I think I will allow myself to sulk, but only in private.

Reply
geoff laptop link
11/8/2015 07:55:08 am

Life is a cliche... hmm maybe. Well I think you did well just t go and see what happens. And I agree wit Sarah about your flash - you are veering towards Hunger Games territory - very intriguing

Reply
Annecdotist
11/8/2015 10:02:02 am

Thanks, Geoff, and I wouldn't have missed it – if you don't try, you don't know, but I might have sulked a bit longer if the inspiration for the flash hadn't come to me.

Reply
Norah Colvin link
11/8/2015 05:37:15 pm

Oh, Anne, how disappointing. You never know when those snakes are there, hiding, ready to bite. You think you're on a run of ladders and then down you go again. Don't underestimate the effect your presence may have had on others though. You never know how many discussions with those non-readers may prompt them to read - something, anything. You never know how many of them may mention your lovely self and your book to friends who are readers. You never know for how many a pleasant smile or chat with you was all the pleasure they had in their life that day. While I understand how draining it is, and how difficult it is to stay positive with such little response; it's a blip, it's a learning experience (how I hate that description of anything unpleasant! but I've used it anyway) and the results are yet to be known, may never be known. Put it behind you - on to bigger and better things. It's that "yet" philosophy!
Your flash is brilliant. The premise of it is rather interesting. Sometimes the fuss made over the death of one animal (and I'm not expressing this as well as I would like) seems out of proportion to the way human suffering on a large scale is conveniently ignored. I read an interesting post on someone's (can't think whose at the moment) post this week comparing the outrage over the killing Cecil the lion to the way the sufferings of the Zimbabwean people is ignored. Interesting stuff. I guess it's easier to express outrage over one death than to turn the tide of human suffering.
Oh, and I almost forgot to comment on the setting! Gorgeous! And pleased to hear there's no sulking - in public anyway! :)

Reply
Annecdotist
13/8/2015 04:43:38 am

Thanks, Norah, indeed I think I'd deluded myself that there'd be only ladders for me for a while! But I think I am going to have to suffer disappointments if I keep my hopes high, which is what I want to do.
Yeah, I think Charli mentioned Cecil the lion on her blog. I do wonder sometimes at compassion for animals not being matched by compassion for people.

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