Am I Being A Grumpy No-So-Old Writer?

Today was productive in the writing sense. I finished my first fiction assignment and sent it off to my (new) tutor and I even sent off a letter to Writing Magazine.   But to be honest this letter, and the article it was related to, also prompted me to want to blog.

This morning I had some time to read through April's issue of Writing Magazine - yes I know, May Issue will probably arrive tomorrow and I still haven't finished this one yet. I fail at reading magazines!

I read the Grumpy Old Bookman column (p35 Writer's News) by Michael Allan, and funnily enough, after all the commotion over the past couple of days of self-published Jacqueline Howett and her unprofessional approach to critiques, the subject was on self-publishing and those making money from it.

He discusses how self-publishing is working for some, and the potential money writer's are making.  He then goes on to talk about Ms Vianka van Bokkem who has 15 books published, but actually they are short stories, ranging from around 5,000 to 13,500 words and the prices are between $2.99-$3.99.  She's sold around 2,500 ebooks in December alone!  Vianka has had reviews such as "The worst book I've ever read", to the other end of the scale giving praise.  I assume she hasn't acted like Ms Howett when given negative feedback or we may have heard about it

Then Allan quotes some of her text, proving she isn't a polished writer - and that some readers (considering the reviews) simply can't care, it hasn't bothered them in this new digital age.  I'm an easy going reader, but I really do care about good presentation of the written word, especially as it's something I'm striving for in my own writing.  (Whether I'm achieving it is another matter!) 

He ends on a note of good luck to her, she's having fun, making friends and money.  However, although yes, in someways I don't want to scoff at someone else's success - yes, good luck to her, if people are prepared to buy her stories, and she's not doing anything deceitful to sell them.  But is she improving her skill?  Is she another writer giving self-publishing a bad name?  Has it become too easy to get published (and sell) with the likes of eBooks?

I've been trying to think up a suitable analogy, because as usual I fear I'm not getting my point across in the way I want - something as a writer I need to work on, but I've always been like it in life - I really do have trouble spitting my words out at times!  So here goes;

Imagine I turn up on X-Factor, singing badly (because I can't sing - I only sound good in the car, on my own) something like "I Will Survive," and I have no intentions of trying to improve.  In fact I think I'm brilliant! Simon Cowell says I can use his recording studio to get my stuff out there (for a small fee).  I then put it on Amazon and make money by selling my badly sung song.  (I imagine there could be a lot of con-artists in the record industry preying on wannabe-singers, yet we never actually get to hear the music.)


Is it happening in the record industry?  I'm not in that line, so I haven't heard about it.  The thing is, everyone can actually write, or type, but it's not necessarily good.  I imagine it's a lot harder to get a song on iTunes and actually make money from it than it is to get an eBook out there.  The equipment you need to record a song is a little bit harder to come by than what you need to write - that's what I'm trying to say!

Writing is a craft, a talent, a skill, an art, like singing - isn't it?

Yes, I do see the need for self-publishing, even if thanks to the likes of Ms Howett who give it a bad name, and the vanity press that prey on wannabe writers.  But I suppose what niggles me now is that there seems to be readers out there that don't mind this slack approach to writing.  Part of me is annoyed that society is getting lazy in all sorts of ways, and now it seems we're getting lazy in what we expect in good writing.  Or am I wrong?

I've tried to write this as diplomatically as I can, and not sound out of turn - I apologise now if it seems that way.  I don't want to sound like some snobby writer - I'm not.  As an unpublished writer trying to find my way, I'm interested to know what others think.  Are you frustrated that people actually can make money out of bad writing?  Who are the con-artists really?  Are readers being duped?

Changed My Blog Name

After much deliberation I've decided to change the title of my blog.  Luckily, I'd always made the URL "teresamorgan" (http://teresa-morgan.blogspot.com/) - so that's not changed.  It's just my title for the blog.

When I first set about creating the blog title, I am unsure if in my subconscious I'd read a 'Ramblings' blog but it sounded great at the time and hence it was created.  However, I came across a few "Ramblings" as a got more familiar with blogging.  So, have now decided to change it, to make it more distinctive against others and more personal to me. 

My link on your blog lists will still work, however your list will probably still say "Ramblings Of A Mad Woman..." unless you update it.  For those of you that have me on your blog list, I would be grateful if you could (might be just a case of updating it, by unclicking then clicking it), but it's not the end of the world if you don't.

Right, time for bed.  I managed to finish my assignment, but will read it all through tomorrow before posting.  Then it's on with editing The Wedding Favour - I'm quite excited actually!

Oh and currently I've changed it to no anonymous postings... to see if this helps with the spamming. 

Right, I've Had Enough Now Of Spammers!

I've had two comments posted on my blog now, and each provide a link to an online pharmacy, selling viagra no doubt!

I have it set up so that you have to enter a code to post a comment. (Don't I?) I may have change this for a bit and put it that I authorise comments and see if that gets rid of this annoyance.  In a minute I will go look at my options.

Why, oh why is the internet riddled with these bloody people! No I don't want viagra, and if I did, I wouldn't buy it from you.

Ha! Just noticed they used a LJ account, so I've gone and reported them as a bot.  Take that! (Imagine me ninja chopping - not helping I'm reading The Scarlet Kimono which is obviously set in Japan - not that the books mention ninjas or anything... just me having a rambling moment, or witter (that's for Morton S Gray).

As a side note, I was thinking of changing the name of my blog, to Witterings of a Mad Woman (as I've noticed a lot of Ramblings) or Mad Woman Witters...  Would that automatically update everyone's blogs that have it on their blog lists?  Or should I keep it as Ramblings... ? Undecided.

Is It Me Or Is Time Flying?

Where has March gone?  Seriously.  Friday is the 1st of April.

April is when I said I'd start editing The Wedding Favour!

This week I've got to pull my finger out and get that first fiction assignment off.  I only have the second exercise to do, which I started but I think I've done the wrong way around.  I've just used the POV of someone to look at the characteristics of other people in a restaurant, where I think I'm actually supposed to do it from inside those characters' heads.  Show a brash, confident character.  I only have three characters to do, and 150 words to do it for each character - easy, right?

I've been thinking about my second novel, and looking forward to starting that.  I do think I need something else to concentrate on, to make me sit down and write.  Though, I should be concentrating on smaller projects i.e. short stories, to see if I can generate some income... so that I can give up my stifling weekend job.  (I'd rather be around my kids arguing than go there to work!)  Editing should get me working hard again - once I start focussing on something, then it's hard for me to stop.  Currently, I've been ambling around my study. 

I'm wondering whether to enter The Wedding Favour into the Yeovil Prize which was advertised in Writing Magazine (March issue).  I have until the 31st May to have polished the first three chapters and a synopsis.  I've been reading like crazy - 13/40 books so far - so ahead of schedule there, which will mean I have lots of time for editing and reading The Wedding Favour.

I still haven't heard from Woman's Weekly about a short story I sent to them in January.  It was called Life After Death, about a young woman in labour who has lost her husband.  I saw on Womagwriter's Blog that they wanted 'risky' stories, so that's what I sent them.  I'd like to think it's an emotional piece, which does end happily.  I anxiously await the post every day now for news of rejection or acceptance ... 

Now taking a leaf out of Rachel Lyndhurt's blog, I'm going to share with you Adam.  He started off inspired by the likes of Bradley Cooper (he's my new obsession) and Dirk Benedict (he's my old one) but I found this wonderful picture of Josh Holloway.  I'd described, or should I say, Sophie had described Adam with sandy blond hair.  One of my writing pals couldn't picture it, till they googled and come up with Sawyer.  Adam is a lot 'cleaner' than Sawyer, and far from a rogue but this picture really is spot on with Josh there in a suit - shame it's not in colour.

And just for those who need their Sawyer fix ... ah hem, I thank you! (see, sandy blond hair -->).

Really must make more of a habit of putting hot male inspirational pictures on my blog.

Book Review: The Wedding Date by Ally Blake

The Wedding Date by Ally Blake

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book and again, I will try to write a review without spoilers. 

This Riva story contained sexy and sensual scenes, not behind closed bedroom doors!

The story starts off slowly, the relationship side of things, but this wasn't a bad thing, it felt realistic, letting the pressure build up between the two of them - and that doesn't mean it 'read' slowly.  But initially the hero doesn't reveal too much his motives.  Though reading between the lines, you kind of guess it - why else would he gate crash his assistant's holiday, her sister's wedding?  Hannah is teased to frustration, unsure of why her boss is acting the way he is - and so are we!

There's some wonderful dialogue; Hannah Gillespie is no pushover, she's feisty, which keeps their relationship interesting and creates great chemistry between these two characters, but you just know her heart is in trouble.

View all my reviews



Also, with this book - I'll post here, rather than on Goodreads - I was intrigued to read it because it's titled The Wedding Date, which is the title of the film that inspired The Wedding Favour - at least the 'wedding' part of it, anyway. 

I was worried that maybe my story wouldn't be original, someone had beaten me to it - but phew!  The story, although revolving around a wedding, has Hannah's boss as her date for totally different reasons.  There was even a lift scene - but again, luckily different.  So for the record, the things I've put in The Wedding Favour were wrote before I read this book!  However, they were inspired by the film.  And it just goes to show that no ideas can really be copyrighted, because it is likely someone will have the similar thoughts, or get inspired by something they've read or watched - just luckily will write them differently.

Yay - and 13 books down! Way ahead of schedule.