Happy New Year It’s that time of the year when families come together to celebrate Christmas and see in the New Year. We hope it has been a joyous occasion at your house – although I do know there are times when some of us wonder why we bother.
The beginning of December seemed so far away from Christmas that, here at Eaglemount Books, thoughts of a newsletter and Christmas just did not share the same space at the same time, so the December newsletter went out without a Christmas message. Apologies… blame it on old age. Everything at Eaglemount Books appears to have ground to a halt. Both authors, Neive Denis and Kayla Danoli, have downed tools for the moment. Hopefully they will regain momentum sometime soon and there will be something more productive to report next month.
0 Comments
OOOPS….
It’s amazing what some characters will do the moment you take your eyes off them. One of the characters at Merivale Retirement Village died. Perhaps there is nothing surprising in that. Retirement village residents usually are elderly, often seriously ill, and sometimes infirm. But it is inconsiderate and inconvenient when, three chapters later, the same character up and dies AGAIN, this time wreaking havoc with planned Christmas festivities. Oh well, that’s what editing is all about, and what’s another bit to rewrite anyway? Now, let’s see, which death shall we run with? Remember to keep reading for your free short story at the end of this newsletter.
THE HARDEST PART So the book is finished. The manuscript has been written and edited countless times, with much red ink being expended along the way, so not a misplaced comma or errant typo remains. But now the hardest part of the job rears up in front of the writer: the cover. A cover must be eye-catching to attract readers – and buyers. Some colours are reputed to work better than others. What’s in an image? Should it be deep and meaningful, significant in some way, or maybe more cartoon-like? And then there is the back cover to consider. Should it be relatively plain or also echo the front cover images in some way? What about the blurb? What should it say and how long should it be? It needs to be enticing, but not contain spoilers. A book can find itself in limbo for some time while its author wrestles with the intricate and demanding task of finding a suitable cover. Remember to read on to the end for this month's free short story.
MORE THAN A NAME
|
THE JOYS OF EDITING Some people claim to love editing and relish and thrive on the challenge to produce the strongest, error-free piece of written work possible. However, some of us do not share the passion but still accept the process is necessary. After writing a manuscript and editing it at least four times, it has the appeal of last week’s fish. There are those (Philistines, if you will) among us who, after several edits of a work, want to see the last of it. All they want to do is send it off and never have to reread it. Neive Denis probably feels this way at the moment. |
Here's to a new year and a better 2021. How was 2020 for you? Was it a time for getting on with your writing, or did your muse take a vacation to avoid the virus? Share your stories with the rest of us if you feel so inclined. Whatever your year was like, no doubt there are plenty of others with similar experiences.
Let's Talk Writing
Author
Share something about yourself, your writing, or something that has come to your attention recently. No need to be fancy, just an overview.
Archives
November 2023
September 2023
July 2023
February 2023
November 2022
September 2022
August 2022
January 2021