Carnival of the Indies for May 2013

Jolly pleased that two more of my blogs Readers: Does Size Matter and also Is a Book a Commodity? are included in the wonderful Carnival of the Indies.  This is my favourite blog carnival and I'd urge anyone who wants to indie publish to visit. 

Check out some brilliant blogs here:

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/05/self-publishing-carnival-of-the-indies-issue-32/

Losing your blogging mojo?

If you are new to blogging or have been a long term blogger, there will be times when you lose your blogging mojo.  Overwork, stress, not enough hours in the day, boredom, loss of confidence, change of focus, not sure what to say - there are so many reasons we might re-evaluate our purpose.  So here is an excellent blog from the wonderful Jane Friedman that you should read.
http://janefriedman.com/2013/04/22/reasons-to-keep-blogging/

And if that wasn't enough, this link lists 35 excellent blogs for writers.  Happy blogging!

http://www.yourwriterplatform.com/blogs-to-help-writers/

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/losing-your-writing-mojo.html

Carnival of the Indies - a rich source of information for writers

I'm thrilled that 3 of my recent posts* have been included over at The Book Designer for the Carnival of the Indies.  The Carnival features a list of fabulous blog posts from a huge range of writers, full of excellent and useful advice and insight.

Do check it out:
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2013/03/self-publishing-carnival-of-the-indies-issue-30/

*The posts are
Lessons in Indie Publishing: Free books and the mystery of Amazon rankings
The Business of Writing: Part 1
Are chapter titles an under-used marketing tool for writers?

Blogging V Writing?

Like many writers, I often consider the relationship between writing and blogging.  I enjoy blogging, which is, after all, writing. Right now, I enjoy blogging more than writing novels.  So I spend more time on it than writing novels.  Then I feel guilty because I'm not working on my novel.

I just came across this thought-provoking post by L.L.Barkat which asks the question, "Is blogging a waste of time for writers?"over  at Jane Friedman's excellent blog.
http://janefriedman.com/2013/03/15/its-time-for-many-experienced-writers-to-stop-blogging/

I'd love to know what you think.

Related post:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-sense-of-community.html

Versatile Blogger Award

I am grateful and delighted that two wonderful bloggers have nominated me for the Versatile Blogger award, namely:

Vikki at http://the-view-outside.com/ and 
Linda at http://excusemewhileinotethatdown.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks, guys.  Sorry it's taken me a while to sort it out. So here goes.....

I have to state 7 facts about me.  Rather than adopt my usual random approach, I decided to be more focussed about this and concentrate on things that are meaningful to me.  I thought about words, and this led to thinking about letters and letter writing.  So my 7 facts all relate to letters that have significance in my life.

1.     When I was a child in the 60s and 70s, I was in love with Superman (he was a cartoon series, long before the wonderful Christopher Reeves films).  So I decided to write him a letter telling him this.  For some reason I thought he lived in a cave, so I addressed the envelope as such and popped it in the post-box.  Not sure what the Royal Mail did with it but strangely I never got a reply.

2.     My teen heart-throbs were actors Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing. The latter was my biggest crush and I wrote him several letters over the years, simply addressed to Peter Cushing, Whitstable.  I got a reply and a signed photo, a treasured possession which I still have.  I didn’t get to meet him in the flesh until very many years later, by which time I was married. It was at a book signing for his autobiography at Waterstones, Tunbridge Wells and was a surreal experience.

3.     I wrote my first (unfinished) pony novel when I was 8 or 9 (in pencil in a large exercise book).  It was about two sisters searching for their stolen ponies.  They were at boarding school and when they set off on their pony quest, they made sure they took lashings of food with them (my favourite childhood books at the time were Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Secret Seven adventures).  I wrote to publisher Armada, who produced most of the pony books I adored,  and asked them how many words you needed for a novel to be published and they replied politely with the answer “at least 40,000”. I kept the letter and when my first book was published by Collins Armada it was like a dream come true.   

4.     As you will have gathered I was an avid letter writer and I still enjoy writing letters.  As a child I had several penfriends, one in New Zealand.  We kept in touch well into adulthood when we were both married and she had children, and we got to meet in the UK eventually.  Anyone remember penfriends?  Do people still have them in this age of social media?

5.     I love receiving letters.  Now we use email I get a lot less but I would become so excited when the postman appeared, wondering what he might bring, and disappointed if nothing arrived. If I had to leave for school/work before the post was delivered it was quite frustrating. (Anyone recall when the first post arrived before 7am?  When there was a first post?)

6.     If you remember the days when you submitted to a publisher via snail mail you will recall saving and re-using large envelopes and stamps and queuing at the local post office to send off your precious manuscript and wait months for that familiar thud as your SAE returned like a boomerang - with a rejection slip. Or, conversely, the occasional surge of joy if the response was positive!

7.     Every time I had anything published, whether it was a letter to the local paper, an article, poem, story or novel, I always sent a copy of it to my Mum and Dad, wanting to share my success, however small, enclosing a handwritten note on a postcard or decorated notepaper.  After I lost both parents to cancer and was sorting out their house, I found every cutting I sent and every letter I wrote, all kept proudly in a drawer.  

I am nominating the following fabulous bloggers for the award:

http://joannegphillips.wordpress.com/

http://www.30daybooks.com/

http://www.lindsayburoker.com/

http://tahlianewland.com/

http://equestrianink.blogspot.co.uk/

http://theelephantinthewritingroom.blogspot.co.uk/

http://lindabenson.blogspot.co.uk/

Related posts:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/fear-of-falling-failing-and-flying.html
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-sense-of-community.html

The Very Inspiring Blog Award

I just want to thank Anushka at http://findingmycreature.wordpress.com for nominating me for The Very Inspiring Blog Award. I'm well chuffed!  Do check out her excellent blog.  I hope I've done the next bit of the process correctly - I'm an award virgin so please forgive me if I mess it up!

SEVEN THINGS I HAVE NOT SHARED ON HERE BEFORE 

7 random facts about me

1. As a child, my first ambition was to be a mounted policewoman.   Then a psychiatric nurse. Then a missionary.  By the time I was 12 I decided I should probably become a writer.

2. I love watching The Big Bang Theory. I discovered it when I was ill in bed and got through the whole boxed set of series 1 and 2.  It definitely helped me through it.

3. Although I am a hopeless cook, I can make a mean banana smoothie and a tasty banana cake.

4. I used to teach pole dance.  Loved it.  My body doesn’t though, so I sold my pole on e-bay. :(

5. In my forties, I became obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer – it was my favourite TV show

6. I have marked OCD tendencies which I do my best to hide…

7. I’m a nervous traveller but one of the most beautiful places I have visited is Iceland.  The landscapes are spectacular. 

I have nominated the following for their continued inspiration and to thank you all for generously sharing your wisdom and knowledge.  Please check out these wonderful blogs!

http://joannegphillips.wordpress.com/

http://the-view-outside.com/

http://chantelc.com/

http://www.inspirationalridingsolutions.com/blog

http://annalisacrawford.blogspot.co.uk/

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

http://www.30daybooks.com/

http://www.livewritethrive.com

http://janefriedman.com/

http://www.thebookdesigner.com/

http://tahlianewland.com/

http://equestrianink.blogspot.co.uk/

http://booksandmud.blogspot.co.uk/

http://patsy-collins.blogspot.co.uk/

http://ponymadbooklovers.blogspot.co.uk/

Below are the rules for the Very Inspiring Blog Award so please follow carefully: 

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

Blogger Awards!

I have just been nominated for TWO blogger awards!  Am rather overwhelmed.  Thank you so much to Anushka at the wonderful Finding my Creature http://findingmycreature.wordpress.com for nominating me for a Very Inspiring Blog Award.


And to the lovely Vikki at http://the-view-outside.com/ for nominating me for a Liebster Award.

This is the first time I have been nominated so I am most grateful!  THANK YOU :)