I’ve got just the rest of the month to draft
out the rest of Downtrodden and then send it to an agent… I wasn’t intending on
sending it out, but a glorious writer I know has suggested I do it (although
the deadline is my own and will probably extend into next month). She is currently working as an intern for
said agent. I dare not get my hopes up –
Downtrodden is not the standard novel and it’s not written in third person
limited in a single voice; it’s third person limited from many voices in many
sections (yes, yes, as I said earlier, it’s not normal – it’s like a miniseries
on TV). Which is why I can’t get my
hopes up. I’ve broken rules…
Yet seeing the end to the draft will mean my celebrating – I
started Downtrodden years ago, first as a flash fiction competition submission
when I very first started writing seriously in 2008 after finishing (I use ‘finishing’
in the loosest of terms as I didn’t bother going beyond the fiction section as
at that time there was no individual course for just fiction, let alone
children’s and teen fiction… yet I’ve made my money back and then some, which
is the only way to get a ‘pass’, but I’ve never bothered to send in for my
certificate, I’m THAT lazy) Writer’s Bureau course.
If said agent isn’t interested, or is just shocked that I’ve
send in something so abominable to the written word, I’ll publish it on kindle
as a short series of four ‘books’, every other to be a free download – if
people like it, then they can buy the next instalment, etc. At any rate, it will be a fun experiment J
As for the rest of writing, knowonder no longer pays staff
writers which is a shame but understandable.
They are, however, still paying general writers, so if anyone other than
staff was considering submitting, don’t be put off. I’ll be spending more time
of Highlights submissions in the future; it’s such an established magazine, I
don’t expect it will have too many cuts (gulp… famous last words?)
The Isabella edit is taking longer than expected (did I say
that last time too?) but the finished product will be very nice. As for Three Women… it will be done on time
(really, it will!) but Isabella is taking most of my hours and I’ve not even
done anything for Seadrake this month – except pull my work from both high
street shops. I’m putting it all on etsy
with sale prices to flush it out before I start on a new line. Onwards and
upwards, yada yada…
