NEW BOOK!!

I started writing a new book on Sunday night, and have been exhausted ever since. I can honestly say that I have written more this week than I have in two or thee months. It's just writing itself. I find myself perched on my hard, poorly designed chair with pins and needles in all sorts of places, and not caring, just typing it out as it comes, then finally stopping to rub my eyes, and there's thousands of words raked up sine the last save, and I never even noticed the time go by.

It feels just so great to be being productive.

Of course M is ruining my buzz a bit, by asking me how it is going. I know that sounds innocent enough, but it always makes me feel like I'm failing if I haven't written an entire chapter since I saw her last.

But any way...

I'm so excited about the story, it's just fun. It's nice to have a simple story line (I should point out that this is the first kids book I have ever attempted), with no complex subplots and no difficult character development. The relationships are what they are, and there's no uncertainty in the charterers mind when it comes to those relationships. Her mum is her mum, and they love each other, the end. The story lies in her adventures and discoveries, not in her relationships.

And, even the baddy, isn't really that evil. But again, I've been writing a very dark and trying adult novel for over two years now, so maybe he just doesn't seem to evil to me by comparison to my other villain.

And the really fun part? People get it. I don't have to explain back story or anything like that. I say that one of the characters only has one eye, and it's like, "how cool", not "why?"

I'm so loving this. I just hope it keeps coming so I can finish and finally have an end product to show the people who remember the times when I was off sitting in some corner with with a pile of paper napkins in my lap, frantically scribbling things down while they were fresh in my mind.

No Free Copies

I love the story of the little red hen, who bakes a loaf of bread without any help from her friends, and then won't give them any, because they didn't do any of the work.

When I tell people I am writing a novel, there are a couple of different reactions they might have. Oddly, the most common response by far, at least from people who think they know me, is for them to ask/demand a free copy once it is published. They may do it with a joking tone, or they may not.

Why would you assume that you get fee stuff just because an acquaintance has 'made' it?

And further, the author only benefits from copies sold. I'm no expert on the topic, but I was fairly sure that the number of copies of the printed book the author receives is actually worked into the contract, and not really free, as the cost of them is deducted from royalties.

So, it's like the other animals wanting the bread the little red hen worked so hard to bake, having done nothing to help her, even when she asked. People who have never helped with research, or character development, not even helped with the odd word of encouragement really should not be putting in thier order of free book whenever I happen to get it published. It is just so irritating!

I, currently, have not one but three separate books waiting for me to write them. They are all complicated and interesting and I can't wait for other people to read them, so they will understand why I would spend so much of my time working on them with no promise of them being published at the end.

I am however, a bit annoyed with the circumstances of one, the oldest and only one I am actively working on. I still think it is awesome and totally worth the effort, but unfortunately the main character is a vampire, and when I had been working on it for eighteen months or more (I have a full time job so progress is slow) "Twilight" hit the big time.

I have always liked vampires, there's just something about them. So it seemed natural that the first book I should write would be about them. I was worried though, that if I read any other vampire books while I was writing it that I would find something that was better than what I was working on and become disheartened, or some of the other books elements would accidentally leak into my own work. So, I was very careful not to even read the back cover of any book that appeared to be about vampires, not even the ones with interesting titles like"The last vampire" (oh that inspired questions/interest as I calmly moved right past it).

Because of my care, I didn't even hear about "Twilight" until the movie was due to be released. I immediately resolved not to see it, nor read the books, and continue as planned. Then a friend gave me a copy of the book for my birthday, and I had to read it, and became momentarily addicted, reading the entire series in a week, and going to see the movie with the afore mentioned friend a few weeks later.

Luckily, my book is so completely different that there was no way for the "Twilight" books to have an affect on it; it is quite simply a case of vampire apples vs vampire oranges.

Unluckily, there is still a but, and the but is, the sheer popularity of "Twilight". You say vampire, people say "Twilight" and ask you if you're on team Jacob, or team Edward.

Those with good memories, or even just a particular liking of vampire tales, will be aware that vampires are cool, but like the Beatles, their popularity, or prominence is pop culture, ebbs and flows. Yes they are cool right now, but given time (in this case it'll take until the final book has made it onto the silver screen), they will fade form the minds of most people. And, once again, those who like vampires will be considered a little weird, until another book or movie bursts onto the scene and reminds everyone that vampires are in fact cool.

Last I checked, vampire titles by half a dozen different authors graced the shelves of my local book store. And to me, this spells competition. I don't want my novel to make its debut in the shadow of "Twilight". I want it to be spacial , and for its vampireness to be independently cool, not just borrowing from the popularity of other works. So, I have to wait.

It could be that there will be room for another vampire tale in the market place by the time I actually finish (given that I am studying as well as working these days). But, it also makes me think I should perhaps be focusing my energy one one of the other stories I have, none of which have vampires in them.

I'm still not entirely sure what I should do. I have come to a place of great difficulty in my vampire-related manuscript, and am concerned that if I put it down, I won't pick it back up.

Huh. Maybe, after however many hundred words, I just answered my own question. Back to forming the first vampire council I go.