Christmas is also about receiving, and two things of note have dropped into my lap so far this week. The first is a couple of copies of The Secret War in paperback (which I’ll be reading from at the launch). They look very nice too, but the paperback version will only be available to the overseas and Irish markets.
The second surprise was a copy of the in-house magazine here, DWPeople, which has a rather good interview with me on the back-page (and Jamie Oliver on the front-page – ah, to be that famous!). It’s fantastic publicity – the circulation for the magazine is 67,500 as I understand, (unfortunately, it isn’t available outside of DWP, but I will see about getting a scanned version onto my website – copyright depending). Already it’s had a big impression on the ol’ Amazon ranking, reaching such lofty heights of around 5,000, even at Christmas time (I promised myself I wouldn’t get too obsessed with this!). So the message here is get ‘em while their hot (or while they’re still first editions).
The third surprise didn’t so much drop into my lap, but unearthed itself from the cavernous store-room that is my mum’s loft. With my sister and boyfriend moving out of the house, it was a good opportunity to get rid of some of my clutter from childhood including some battered Star Wars toys (before anyone asks, they weren’t fit for anything, let alone to be sold on e-bay) and various things like old school books and drawings that might hold some nostalgia, but would I ever look at them again? Nope, not really.
Out of all the clutter, I did salvage one thing and that was several pages of a book I started writing when I was 17 called “The Plainsmen”. Some of the more eagle-eyed readers of this blog might remember this title from previous blog entries, in that it was the original title of The Secret War. It’s the first incarnation of the book, set in a modern day Cheshire village, and follows the same beginning (roughly) as The Secret War, but with exploding petrol stations and daemon summonings. Despite the pyrotechnics, this version is very much “quieter” than The Secret War, and I am glad I decided to set the book in the 19th century – being a relatively more interesting period in history than modern day.
It was interesting to me to see how my writing has matured over the last fifteen years, and that The Secret War will be something that has marked my progression as a writer over that period of time. I don’t think there was a time in those fifteen years that “The Plainsmen” - or as it is now known, The Secret War - hasn’t been in my thoughts.
I used to think that once The Secret War was published, I could move on to the next project with a clear head.
But as the current project is the sequel to The Secret War, I don’t think my thoughts will be wandering too far away for the foreseeable future…
Which leads to me to the final bit of news… The follow-up to The Secret War now has a new name… (see above).
;-)
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
I am one year old!
That’s right. It’s now one year on from the first entry on the Macmillan New Writer blog, as featured on the now defunct “WritingBlock” site. A blog entry that read like this:
“December 2005: Reasons
As merry ol' England, Scotland and Wales is in the grip of a winter freeze (but let's not kid ourselves here, this isn't exactly a catastrophic weather event, is it? I reckon our coping skills aren't what they used to be) I woke this morning thinking, why am I writing a blog? Is it arrogance to think someone might actually want to read it, or is it something else? I think it's a little bit of both. I've never kept a diary, never had something hidden in the top draw under a pile of socks or utility bills, with my deepest thoughts, or not so deepest thoughts scrawled inside. I've never had the patience for one, nor the time for another. But this is different. Never before have I been in a position that could be potentially life-changing. For me this is the last big chance of getting somewhere with my writing before the responsibility of a family comes my way, and all the baggage and loss of time that comes with it. So 2006 is the year that makes or breaks me (oh, that and also 2007 - afterall that’s when the book comes out). So really this blog is for me. To remind me of what has happened over the next 12 months, the ups and downs, and the middles. If anyone else reads this and thinks, "mmm, interesting", that's a bonus. So in the spirit of post-Christmas dieting, please bare with me if it turns into waffle and if it does, I’ll promise to make it low fat…”
Has anything changed since then? Plenty. Apart from being closer to seeing my book on the shelves of the local bookshop, I feel wiser – especially from writing a blog for a year. On blogs like these you bear your soul at least partly, and open yourself to criticism. Thankfully, the criticism I’ve taken is of the constructive kind. It’s also opened doors to people I would have never been in contact with before; it’s made the writing life more colourful, and that’s a big fat bonus that any blogger should be grateful for…
Blogs are an odd thing. They can be utterly pointless to all except the writer. Or they can give others a glimpse of something “interesting”. They can be a great promotional tool (who out there would have heard of The Secret War if it weren’t for this blog?) or an utter waste of a writer’s time (I’ve written around 50,000 words on this blog so far – the length of a short book…).
I suppose it’s a communal thing, and a comfort thing, and a place to shout something you believe is credible into cyberspace, hoping that someone might hear it.
Whether this blog has the longevity to last another 12 months, I don’t really know. Next year will be a busy time, not least with the new book. Those 50,000 words could be handy when writing it, and while blogging is a welcome distraction, it is still a distraction and there is an issue over the worth of blogs. If you ask any writer what they would rather have, a fairly popular blog or a published novel, I think most would chose the latter.
I suppose it’s also about juggling. And over the past months, I’ve become good at it, only dropping the occasional project.
But next year, there will be less margin for error.
Next year the whole writing thing becomes more serious, and like a lot of bloggers - 200 million if you read the article on the BBC, – I may have to halt the whole blogging thing indefinitely.
But we’ll wait and see… Nothing is certain these days, be it a good second novel, Australia winning the Ashes, not even ITV showing a James Bond film on Christmas day! ;-)
Merry Christmas to you all!
Matt
x
“December 2005: Reasons
As merry ol' England, Scotland and Wales is in the grip of a winter freeze (but let's not kid ourselves here, this isn't exactly a catastrophic weather event, is it? I reckon our coping skills aren't what they used to be) I woke this morning thinking, why am I writing a blog? Is it arrogance to think someone might actually want to read it, or is it something else? I think it's a little bit of both. I've never kept a diary, never had something hidden in the top draw under a pile of socks or utility bills, with my deepest thoughts, or not so deepest thoughts scrawled inside. I've never had the patience for one, nor the time for another. But this is different. Never before have I been in a position that could be potentially life-changing. For me this is the last big chance of getting somewhere with my writing before the responsibility of a family comes my way, and all the baggage and loss of time that comes with it. So 2006 is the year that makes or breaks me (oh, that and also 2007 - afterall that’s when the book comes out). So really this blog is for me. To remind me of what has happened over the next 12 months, the ups and downs, and the middles. If anyone else reads this and thinks, "mmm, interesting", that's a bonus. So in the spirit of post-Christmas dieting, please bare with me if it turns into waffle and if it does, I’ll promise to make it low fat…”
Has anything changed since then? Plenty. Apart from being closer to seeing my book on the shelves of the local bookshop, I feel wiser – especially from writing a blog for a year. On blogs like these you bear your soul at least partly, and open yourself to criticism. Thankfully, the criticism I’ve taken is of the constructive kind. It’s also opened doors to people I would have never been in contact with before; it’s made the writing life more colourful, and that’s a big fat bonus that any blogger should be grateful for…
Blogs are an odd thing. They can be utterly pointless to all except the writer. Or they can give others a glimpse of something “interesting”. They can be a great promotional tool (who out there would have heard of The Secret War if it weren’t for this blog?) or an utter waste of a writer’s time (I’ve written around 50,000 words on this blog so far – the length of a short book…).
I suppose it’s a communal thing, and a comfort thing, and a place to shout something you believe is credible into cyberspace, hoping that someone might hear it.
Whether this blog has the longevity to last another 12 months, I don’t really know. Next year will be a busy time, not least with the new book. Those 50,000 words could be handy when writing it, and while blogging is a welcome distraction, it is still a distraction and there is an issue over the worth of blogs. If you ask any writer what they would rather have, a fairly popular blog or a published novel, I think most would chose the latter.
I suppose it’s also about juggling. And over the past months, I’ve become good at it, only dropping the occasional project.
But next year, there will be less margin for error.
Next year the whole writing thing becomes more serious, and like a lot of bloggers - 200 million if you read the article on the BBC, – I may have to halt the whole blogging thing indefinitely.
But we’ll wait and see… Nothing is certain these days, be it a good second novel, Australia winning the Ashes, not even ITV showing a James Bond film on Christmas day! ;-)
Merry Christmas to you all!
Matt
x
Monday, December 11, 2006
Draft 2
Like taking a deep breath and sticking your head under water, the 2nd draft has now begun.
And to think I hesitated.
I’m at my best when I’m writing. When I take a pause I feel aimless, wandering from one project to the next, not really focused on anything: work, family, or buying Christmas presents… The Secret War apart, my enthusiasm for other things tends to evaporate quickly. For me, writing is a drug – it gives my imagination that adrenalin rush, and inspires. I feel more alive after writing one thousand well crafted words than at any other time.
So I’ve started the 2nd draft after feeling the loss too keenly, and due to requests from my publisher. Already I’ve completed chapter 1.b, and this week I begin chapter 2.b. Chapter 1 is largely unchanged, but Chapter 2 will be a complete re-write.
After looking at the first version of the book, I’m looking to redraft around half of it – that’s not a conservative estimate either. Several chapters will be scrapped, pruned, extended and altered in such a way that pace will return to what is essentially a bloated story. That’s the beauty of drafting – the ability to take a step back and look at something objectively and make the necessary changes. Some writers get too close and cannot do it - being protective of their work - and had I fallen into that trap it is doubtful The Secret War would have ever been published. The final draft of The Secret War is very, very different to the first draft I began all the way back in 2001. And again that draft is very different to the version I started way back in 1992 under the title “Metallica Demonica”.
Sometimes you have to make a cut here, and an incision there. I’ll be just as ruthless with the new book.
I can’t afford not to be…
…You see, there are no guarantees that Macmillan New Writing will take my second book, regardless of whether it is a sequel to The Secret War or not. As I’ve discovered recently, not all the MNW published authors have had their second book accepted, and most of us are feeling the pressure to produce a second book worthy of the first.
I guess for me, it’s not an uncomfortable pressure. MNW will like the follow-up or they won’t. The book is what it is, and I’m not going to waste time trying to second-guess what my publisher wants to see. Afterall, The Burning Sands of Time is a direct follow-up to The Secret War, so I’m not deviating from the style or theme. I guess I’m not taking a risk with my second book at all, but then the plan was neither to take a risk nor not to. It was just to write three books in all, and this is the middle one.
(That’s not to say I’m feeling complacent either. I’m writing this book with a view to it being at least as good as the first).
Amongst the changes for the 2nd draft, is the title. I’m not so sure about “The Burning Sands of Time”. It doesn’t quite work for me. So there are various other titles I have scribbled down that include:
The Lords of Fire (a.k.a. Lords of the Fire var.);
Mhorrer’s Horde (a direct reference to the object of the story); or,
The Reign of the Rassis (reference to the diabolical cult who serve as guardians to Mhorrer’s Horde).
(Before anyone comments on any of these, please remember these are titles for books that are “historical fantasy”. They’re not meant to be literary, but like The Secret War, should describe exactly what the book does!)*
I can see the 2nd draft being a hard draft – one of choices, and one of firm decisions that make or break the story. If I haven’t nailed the plot in the 2nd draft then I’ll know the story isn’t good enough.
For the record, I think it is. I think it’s a better story than The Secret War and I guess like most artists, I’ll be content if the new book surpasses the first.
*And if you really want to see whether a title of a book translates into a bestseller, just follow the link here! By the way, Lords of the Fire scored 55.4% on this!
And to think I hesitated.
I’m at my best when I’m writing. When I take a pause I feel aimless, wandering from one project to the next, not really focused on anything: work, family, or buying Christmas presents… The Secret War apart, my enthusiasm for other things tends to evaporate quickly. For me, writing is a drug – it gives my imagination that adrenalin rush, and inspires. I feel more alive after writing one thousand well crafted words than at any other time.
So I’ve started the 2nd draft after feeling the loss too keenly, and due to requests from my publisher. Already I’ve completed chapter 1.b, and this week I begin chapter 2.b. Chapter 1 is largely unchanged, but Chapter 2 will be a complete re-write.
After looking at the first version of the book, I’m looking to redraft around half of it – that’s not a conservative estimate either. Several chapters will be scrapped, pruned, extended and altered in such a way that pace will return to what is essentially a bloated story. That’s the beauty of drafting – the ability to take a step back and look at something objectively and make the necessary changes. Some writers get too close and cannot do it - being protective of their work - and had I fallen into that trap it is doubtful The Secret War would have ever been published. The final draft of The Secret War is very, very different to the first draft I began all the way back in 2001. And again that draft is very different to the version I started way back in 1992 under the title “Metallica Demonica”.
Sometimes you have to make a cut here, and an incision there. I’ll be just as ruthless with the new book.
I can’t afford not to be…
…You see, there are no guarantees that Macmillan New Writing will take my second book, regardless of whether it is a sequel to The Secret War or not. As I’ve discovered recently, not all the MNW published authors have had their second book accepted, and most of us are feeling the pressure to produce a second book worthy of the first.
I guess for me, it’s not an uncomfortable pressure. MNW will like the follow-up or they won’t. The book is what it is, and I’m not going to waste time trying to second-guess what my publisher wants to see. Afterall, The Burning Sands of Time is a direct follow-up to The Secret War, so I’m not deviating from the style or theme. I guess I’m not taking a risk with my second book at all, but then the plan was neither to take a risk nor not to. It was just to write three books in all, and this is the middle one.
(That’s not to say I’m feeling complacent either. I’m writing this book with a view to it being at least as good as the first).
Amongst the changes for the 2nd draft, is the title. I’m not so sure about “The Burning Sands of Time”. It doesn’t quite work for me. So there are various other titles I have scribbled down that include:
The Lords of Fire (a.k.a. Lords of the Fire var.);
Mhorrer’s Horde (a direct reference to the object of the story); or,
The Reign of the Rassis (reference to the diabolical cult who serve as guardians to Mhorrer’s Horde).
(Before anyone comments on any of these, please remember these are titles for books that are “historical fantasy”. They’re not meant to be literary, but like The Secret War, should describe exactly what the book does!)*
I can see the 2nd draft being a hard draft – one of choices, and one of firm decisions that make or break the story. If I haven’t nailed the plot in the 2nd draft then I’ll know the story isn’t good enough.
For the record, I think it is. I think it’s a better story than The Secret War and I guess like most artists, I’ll be content if the new book surpasses the first.
*And if you really want to see whether a title of a book translates into a bestseller, just follow the link here! By the way, Lords of the Fire scored 55.4% on this!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Never Admit to Being a Writer
Another London aftermath, and this time a mixture of socialising as well as Christmas Shopping on Oxford Street.
The main purpose for my trip to the capital was for Jonathan Drape’s book launch of Never Admit to Beige, which was a resounding success in many ways and not just for Jonathan, who I suspect will go on to great things over the coming months, beginning not least with the Radio Five Live critique of his book this afternoon with Simon Mayo.
Echoing Roger’s sentiments, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Apart from chatting to Jonathan and his muse, Katherine, I talked shop with my editor Will and publishing assistant Sophie (it’s always great to meet up with them) and also had a chat with other MNW writers: Michael Stephen Fuchs, Peter Bourne, Roger Morris, Cate Sweeney, Lucy McCarraher, Sam Grosser, Brian Martin and one of the newbies being published in October 2007, Len.
It’s great to catch up and finally a chance to speak to familiar faces like Brian, Peter and Sam. Sometimes you just don’t get around to talking to everyone, but thankfully I managed the lion’s share of the attendees that night.
I also had a chance to talk to Mike Barnard, joking about the original length of The Secret War (including the even longer Burning Sands of Time) as well as congratulating me on the German deal. I always feel humble around Mike, a warm man of great insight and experience that causes my mind to go blank whenever I see him, (I suppose due to that overwhelming feeling of gratitude that he should lift me out of the slush-pile).
The evening ended on an amusing note in Pizza Express. As we finished-up eating and drinking, a group of diners paused to look at mine and Lucy McCarraher’s copies of Never Admit to Beige, believing it was a weekly meeting of some book group. When I mentioned that actually it was a meeting of authors, and that the writer of NAtB was sitting across from us, one of the diners - an Irishman with a dry wit (and a little inebriated) - began to interrogate Jonathan on the book. Jonathan, to his credit, handled the whole thing very well – hilariously at times – and we discovered that Jonathan Drapes is actually his pen name*. Or something. It’s all a bit of a blur really, as we were all pretty drunk as I persuaded Jonathan and co to finish off the last bottle of red on the table.
Still, a great end to a great night. These MNW launches are always fun – but I swear Sophie Portas and Will Atkins at MNW think I spend my entire life inebriated (not true – it just seems to get that way at these book launches!).
*(As it turns out, Jonathan Drapes really is his name – thanks to Katherine for the info).
No longer such a Secret War
Publicity is picking up, the word is being spread. I even have a little army of helpers who are doing their utmost to spread the word around Cumbria, Bournemouth and the Midlands, not to mention my own efforts on promoting the whole thing in South Yorkshire.
Jonathan’s launch in London was also an opportunity to find out what was happening elsewhere concerning my book, and one of the great bits of news concerns Goldsboro books, run by David Headley. David told me that already they’ve had around 100 pre-orders for the book and will be ordering more copies from Macmillan (I will be signing these before the official launch on 11th January).
I guess the whole success thing with Naomi Novik’s Temeraire books is starting to rub off. Is Historical Fantasy the next big thing? Who knows, though fantasy books and films in general such as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Harry Potters (not least the wake of the Lord of the Rings films) have thrust the genre into the limelight again – yet within the genre there are off-shoots and Historical Fantasy seems to be one that’s capturing readers’ imaginations. I hope The Secret War can add to that momentum, and when bookshop owners start quoting figures like the latter, it makes you think.
Even on Amazon the pre-orders have begun, though as per my previous post, I have no idea how that translates into sales…
I am understandably curious!
The main purpose for my trip to the capital was for Jonathan Drape’s book launch of Never Admit to Beige, which was a resounding success in many ways and not just for Jonathan, who I suspect will go on to great things over the coming months, beginning not least with the Radio Five Live critique of his book this afternoon with Simon Mayo.
Echoing Roger’s sentiments, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Apart from chatting to Jonathan and his muse, Katherine, I talked shop with my editor Will and publishing assistant Sophie (it’s always great to meet up with them) and also had a chat with other MNW writers: Michael Stephen Fuchs, Peter Bourne, Roger Morris, Cate Sweeney, Lucy McCarraher, Sam Grosser, Brian Martin and one of the newbies being published in October 2007, Len.
It’s great to catch up and finally a chance to speak to familiar faces like Brian, Peter and Sam. Sometimes you just don’t get around to talking to everyone, but thankfully I managed the lion’s share of the attendees that night.
I also had a chance to talk to Mike Barnard, joking about the original length of The Secret War (including the even longer Burning Sands of Time) as well as congratulating me on the German deal. I always feel humble around Mike, a warm man of great insight and experience that causes my mind to go blank whenever I see him, (I suppose due to that overwhelming feeling of gratitude that he should lift me out of the slush-pile).
The evening ended on an amusing note in Pizza Express. As we finished-up eating and drinking, a group of diners paused to look at mine and Lucy McCarraher’s copies of Never Admit to Beige, believing it was a weekly meeting of some book group. When I mentioned that actually it was a meeting of authors, and that the writer of NAtB was sitting across from us, one of the diners - an Irishman with a dry wit (and a little inebriated) - began to interrogate Jonathan on the book. Jonathan, to his credit, handled the whole thing very well – hilariously at times – and we discovered that Jonathan Drapes is actually his pen name*. Or something. It’s all a bit of a blur really, as we were all pretty drunk as I persuaded Jonathan and co to finish off the last bottle of red on the table.
Still, a great end to a great night. These MNW launches are always fun – but I swear Sophie Portas and Will Atkins at MNW think I spend my entire life inebriated (not true – it just seems to get that way at these book launches!).
*(As it turns out, Jonathan Drapes really is his name – thanks to Katherine for the info).
No longer such a Secret War
Publicity is picking up, the word is being spread. I even have a little army of helpers who are doing their utmost to spread the word around Cumbria, Bournemouth and the Midlands, not to mention my own efforts on promoting the whole thing in South Yorkshire.
Jonathan’s launch in London was also an opportunity to find out what was happening elsewhere concerning my book, and one of the great bits of news concerns Goldsboro books, run by David Headley. David told me that already they’ve had around 100 pre-orders for the book and will be ordering more copies from Macmillan (I will be signing these before the official launch on 11th January).
I guess the whole success thing with Naomi Novik’s Temeraire books is starting to rub off. Is Historical Fantasy the next big thing? Who knows, though fantasy books and films in general such as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Harry Potters (not least the wake of the Lord of the Rings films) have thrust the genre into the limelight again – yet within the genre there are off-shoots and Historical Fantasy seems to be one that’s capturing readers’ imaginations. I hope The Secret War can add to that momentum, and when bookshop owners start quoting figures like the latter, it makes you think.
Even on Amazon the pre-orders have begun, though as per my previous post, I have no idea how that translates into sales…
I am understandably curious!
Monday, December 04, 2006
Humbug, Bah!
Okay, I warn you now, this is going to be an ever-so-slightly negative blog entry.
Ish.
BBC Radio Sheffield
Well I tried, but the interviews on Radio Sheffield are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced, so I won’t be posting the Sunday interview on my website. The only copy of the show is actually on a tape cassette in my bedroom and unless you decide to break into our house (which I advise you not to do), no-one will ever hear it again.
Ah well…
Not-crodyssey
I hate making promises but not keeping them, so it’s with a heavy heart that I announce the Necrodyssey project has been put on hold. My publisher wants me to concentrate on the new book, The Burning Sands of Time (which will be undergoing a title change soon), which makes sense. If The Secret War generates momentum, then MNW want to keep it going as long as possible. The follow-up would do that nicely, and as I’m writing it between the day-job, I’d better to start the 2nd draft soon. Even if it means sacrificing another project…
…That’s not to say Necrodyssey is a dead project. Or rather it is… Ahem
Launches
I’m off to London again. This time to Jonathan Drapes’ book launch for Never Admit to Beige published by Macmillan New Writing (and also a Radio Five Live book of the month!). I’ll take some photos while I’m there and post them right here on the blog. Apart from catching up with everyone, it will be an opportunity to chat to my editor and publishing assistant about next January, as well as some well needed Christmas shopping.
Is it me, or is it bloody difficult to buy presents for older family members these days?
And finally
It’s almost here. A month away in fact. And yes, I’m excited (and at times I just can’t hide it!).
In a month’s time (a short time indeed, though at the moment it’s very much obscured by Christmas lights and shopping for presents) this book will be available to buy…
Already there’s been some pre-orders on Amazon, yet I’ve no idea how that translates into sales. Not that I’ll be too obsessed with my Amazon ranking – after all, it’s pretty meaningless at the end of the day… Just see this link.
Ish.
BBC Radio Sheffield
Well I tried, but the interviews on Radio Sheffield are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced, so I won’t be posting the Sunday interview on my website. The only copy of the show is actually on a tape cassette in my bedroom and unless you decide to break into our house (which I advise you not to do), no-one will ever hear it again.
Ah well…
Not-crodyssey
I hate making promises but not keeping them, so it’s with a heavy heart that I announce the Necrodyssey project has been put on hold. My publisher wants me to concentrate on the new book, The Burning Sands of Time (which will be undergoing a title change soon), which makes sense. If The Secret War generates momentum, then MNW want to keep it going as long as possible. The follow-up would do that nicely, and as I’m writing it between the day-job, I’d better to start the 2nd draft soon. Even if it means sacrificing another project…
…That’s not to say Necrodyssey is a dead project. Or rather it is… Ahem
Launches
I’m off to London again. This time to Jonathan Drapes’ book launch for Never Admit to Beige published by Macmillan New Writing (and also a Radio Five Live book of the month!). I’ll take some photos while I’m there and post them right here on the blog. Apart from catching up with everyone, it will be an opportunity to chat to my editor and publishing assistant about next January, as well as some well needed Christmas shopping.
Is it me, or is it bloody difficult to buy presents for older family members these days?
And finally
It’s almost here. A month away in fact. And yes, I’m excited (and at times I just can’t hide it!).
In a month’s time (a short time indeed, though at the moment it’s very much obscured by Christmas lights and shopping for presents) this book will be available to buy…
Already there’s been some pre-orders on Amazon, yet I’ve no idea how that translates into sales. Not that I’ll be too obsessed with my Amazon ranking – after all, it’s pretty meaningless at the end of the day… Just see this link.
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