Sobering, yet depressing, news for all up and coming writers: The Death of the Slush Pile.
A choice quote from Rosman’s article:
Now, slush is dead, or close to extinction. Film and television producers won’t read anything not certified by an agent because producers are afraid of being accused of stealing ideas and material. Most book publishers have stopped accepting book proposals that are not submitted by agents. Magazines say they can scarcely afford the manpower to cull through the piles looking for the Next Big Thing.
Perhaps its better just to stick your head in the sand and not read this post until one has finished their debut novel.
It occurred to me the other day that very few of my guy friends read books. Has it always been like this? Is there some kind of literary drought going on?
There have been many worrying articles in the newspaper of late bemoaning the lack of innovation in the book industry, with dire predictions of where its going. I remember working as a label boy in a local bookstore chain when I was 19 and discovering the depressing truth of the industry; that book-reading is dominated by females over 50.
Now I don’t have anything against women over 50, but what worries me is that the dominance has probably increased over the years since. I can’t remember the last time I was able to have a discussion about a book with a male friend – the Top Gear episode guide doesn’t count.
Have we males given up? Perhaps reading is now considered too feminine. Or are we so inundated with books intended for older readers that many young males feel left out? I’m not sure of the answer. I just know that there is a large time gap between 20 and 45 – if that isn’t filled by literature, it… Read more
11 days in to my 365 writing challenge and so far so good.
The frequency of returning to the page keeps the novel on my mind, which means even when I’m not physically writing, I’m working through things up top, considering plot structures/developments and characters to try in the next writing session. I found this technique worked really well with my last long piece of fiction; being constantly poised and ready to write.
Predictably, my novel is progressing along a series of sharp bends and u-turns. I started the year with 2 very solid ideas for a novel, and for better or worse, both have developed simultaneously, but in completely unexpected directions. I wonder how long you can keep up 2 novels side by side…
This week I find myself researching present day Iraq as the opening of one novel quickly revealed itself to be a set piece located around the American invasion of Baghdad, and in particular, the initial ‘shock and awe’ campaign that Bush promised Hussein.
Am I interested in Iraq? I wasn’t up until a few days ago.
I recently listened to a podcast (Barnes and Noble Meet the Author – a free Podcast available through… Read more
Does anyone else look for music to write to? For me, writing is a very emotional act, and as such, I find my best work comes in sporadic emotional bursts. When I’m in the mood, the writing just seems to flow through me. When I’m not in the mood, the sentences drag by.
One of the ways I try to get into the ‘zone’ is by looking for good music to write to. I find with the right music on in the background my ideas come faster and my prose reacts to the rhythm of the music. This, for me, is a good thing as I tend to match the music I’m listening to to the emotion of the piece I’m trying to write.
I may, at times, have to go back and fix the prose a little to make sure it sounds right sans music (not every reader will have my musical taste). But for the most part, writing to selected music usually results in tighter, more liquid prose.
In a recent story I wrote, City of Birds, I was struggling to write one of the final scenes that required fast, punchy prose with a hint of the… Read more
If only us Aussies got as excited about books as the Kiwis. An impressive promo for the New Zealand Book Council. Certainly makes me wanna go read a book!
Happy new year! Having completed my first ever resolution last year with my twenty six books challenge, my 2010 resolution list gets underway with extra gusto today with a 365 writing challenge. Continuing on the theme of my Seinfeld Calendar post, I’ll be attempting to write everyday (for at least half an hour) in 2010.
It’s not the most outrageous or ambitious resolution in the world. Many authors will be pulling ten times that amount every day to get their books finished. But this year is about developing good writing habits, and writing everyday, no matter how long or short I sit for, is a habit that’s only going to get stronger and more useful in future years.
My daily writing session doesn’t have to count towards any particular project, the aim is to develop writing discipline and endurance. A continuous half hour is the minimum time I can spend.
To help put some focus around the sessions, I’m setting myself a goal to come out of 2010 with at least 4 pieces of work published (any genre), 3 new short stories/features written, and 5 chapters of my novel completed along with a synopsis. To get this done I’m… Read more