tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post7431908613436458095..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: A Writer on the Edge of Giving Up...Katherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-60659641177881280152013-02-28T19:33:18.501+00:002013-02-28T19:33:18.501+00:00All very puzzling, and probably due to it being Fe...All very puzzling, and probably due to it being February (or something). March hares to come, and mad hatters, doubtless, to follow.Enid Richemonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218197995089241666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-61719460428497655962013-02-28T17:24:20.211+00:002013-02-28T17:24:20.211+00:00Enid - sorry if I nicked your space - Sue contacte...Enid - sorry if I nicked your space - Sue contacted me and said I'd been rescheduled for the 28th, I'd actually assumed I wouldn't be posting at all this month, because of February only being 28 days long!<br />(Confusion reigns)Hywela Lynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13789711554354184386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-40240611702731286822013-02-28T15:22:30.893+00:002013-02-28T15:22:30.893+00:00PS Either Blogger's got its knickers in a twis...PS Either Blogger's got its knickers in a twist, or Hywela and I have, because we seem to have swapped dates (not that it matters).Enid Richemonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218197995089241666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-37986928114461539722013-02-28T15:18:08.647+00:002013-02-28T15:18:08.647+00:00Ros - like everyone else here, I know EXACTLY wher...Ros - like everyone else here, I know EXACTLY where you're at, and at present I'm feeling the same way - tired of the unencouraging sales figures, and bored with, and embarrassed by, self-promotion.<br />Dennis - might we chat about Walker via email some time?<br />Re-the film. Might we do a WI-type calender thing, but only when the weather warms up? Only joking... Enid Richemonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218197995089241666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-58163747053664700242013-02-28T11:28:12.040+00:002013-02-28T11:28:12.040+00:00Thanks, everyone, for your comments and support. I...Thanks, everyone, for your comments and support. I did some writing first thing this morning. And I think the film is a wonderful idea!Rosalie Warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10790708661647164052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-55070290491460400472013-02-27T22:07:50.762+00:002013-02-27T22:07:50.762+00:00See, Ros? Your support group is swelling...and so ...See, Ros? Your support group is swelling...and so will the infernal 'numbers' in time. Write like the star you are.glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-9613186641900313462013-02-27T19:00:36.608+00:002013-02-27T19:00:36.608+00:00'...banding together, overcome odds and coming...'...banding together, overcome odds and coming out glowing with success' I meant to add before I so rudely cut myself off. Pauline Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826696982301252524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-12081904413751196712013-02-27T18:58:11.668+00:002013-02-27T18:58:11.668+00:00Well Ros, here I am with a heavy head cold and hac...Well Ros, here I am with a heavy head cold and hacking cough, sitting on the sofa under a duvet feeling sorry for myself - and you are the first thing [sorry, person] all day that has made me sit up!! Of course you mustn't give up. If only one person more read your books than would have happened otherwise, you've achieved something - and I'm sure it's not as bad as that. I, for one, am amongst that number and I enjoyed Charity's Child very much and it gave me much food for thought.<br /><br />I identify with your despondence though. It seems we've come through the gung-ho phase of thinking the world is about to change courtesy of electronic publishing, but perhaps more than anything it's OURSELVES who've changed. Like Dennis said, losing a publisher is desperately undermining and if it takes electronic publishing, and a group like AE, to give an injection of confidence to start on new work, how brilliant is that.<br /><br />PS. Am I the only one who's thought that an AE inspired film is something we should collectively write? Not quite sure which of us would be played by Bill Nighy, Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Judy Dench, but talented/interesting older persons seem to be quite of the moment amongst film topics recently [not that I'm assuming we're all old].<br />Pauline Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11826696982301252524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-34924592275832597842013-02-27T18:36:28.853+00:002013-02-27T18:36:28.853+00:00Never give up Ros - I have to admit it's reall...Never give up Ros - I have to admit it's really hard trying to juggle all the social media in an effort to keep ones name 'out there'. I'm in the position of having spent so much time doing that I've written nothing new for ages. That has to change. I won't give up my friends on the net, but I need to refocus and spend a lot less time on line!Hywela Lynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13789711554354184386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-41682543493492472562013-02-27T18:28:38.528+00:002013-02-27T18:28:38.528+00:00One person enjoying your book is all that counts. ...One person enjoying your book is all that counts. Makes it all worthwhile. Hugs xxDebbie Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06761474820689143835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-50000665504386640322013-02-27T12:42:50.643+00:002013-02-27T12:42:50.643+00:00Step back from the edge, Ros! It's not about t...Step back from the edge, Ros! It's not about the sales, it's about the satisfaction of just one person enjoying the story.Mark Chisnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10248299206033458004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-34841831607588825512013-02-27T12:35:44.415+00:002013-02-27T12:35:44.415+00:00Mainly, I just want to echo what the others have s...Mainly, I just want to echo what the others have said. It's a pretty familiar feeling really, but it goes away.<br />Two other things, though. First, I spent two hours yesterday evening at a life drawing class. I'm rubbish at it, but the time passed in total absorption and even the garbage on the paper before me couldn't dispel the feeling of complete satisfaction at having been in that lovely cocoon unaware of self, surroundings or anything. When we're lucky, writing gives us that, too.<br />And second, last night I got an email from a small film company in Los Angeles praising a short story of mine and asking permission to adapt it for the screen. I know nothing ever comes of such things but it was a story I wrote 25 years ago. Life's absurd and so are its surprises.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-10018876624306617392013-02-27T10:40:36.180+00:002013-02-27T10:40:36.180+00:00I imagine every author has had that experience, Ro...I imagine every author has had that experience, Ros, and this post is a good reminder that it's actually about the writing, and the writing is a joyful thing. Walking on the coast or moor is how I reconnect as well. Most grounding :)Jen Alexanderhttp://jenalexanderbooks.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-12499294595031902582013-02-27T10:37:34.929+00:002013-02-27T10:37:34.929+00:00Barbara Pym is my favourite novelist, I've rea...Barbara Pym is my favourite novelist, I've read her novels to rags. Pleased to hear you've become a fan! I think your feelings are natural, and it's a risk with self-pub that we can be caught up in sales figures and stats and forget why we do this in the first place. you just needed some downtime, and there it is, waiting for you. you are a writer, and writing is what you do. the other stuff is incidental. a timely reminder for us all! enjoy your writing and don't worry too much about sales or saleability. I'm speaking to myself here as well!Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-42599578745500211992013-02-27T10:08:20.826+00:002013-02-27T10:08:20.826+00:00Ros, I recognise everything you say here. Since I...Ros, I recognise everything you say here. Since I realised that Walker weren't going to publish any more of my books I sort of switched off writing because the old 'what's the point?' devil was sitting on my shoulder. Only AE saved me - and even now I've only republished old books, though with the welcome chance to revise the and sort out glaring faults which have looked at me mockingly from the pages for years. But I'm gradually picking up the pieces, again thanks to other AEs and their encouragement and frightening examples. Like you, I can't bring myself to do the social media bit, though there are other sensible things I could do and don't. But I don't worry too much any more when the meagre payments from Amazon come in: the knowledge the the books are out there again and accessible to those who want them is satisfying enough. For the moment. But the green shoots, as they say, may be appearing again.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-80513699447642471892013-02-27T09:44:15.175+00:002013-02-27T09:44:15.175+00:00I know how you feel. I check my sales each day and...I know how you feel. I check my sales each day and am disappointed. However I then think hey someone in this huge world has taken a chance on my work. They don't know me, will be unlikely to ever meet or talk to me but they've taken a chance. Yes I'd like to see more 0's on the end of the total sales but that will happen, it just takes time. And in the meantime there are people reading my work who never would have done if I hadn't self published. So don't you give up, keep going.<br /> Lynne Garnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697330164705623835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-73937054987397957612013-02-27T08:00:14.682+00:002013-02-27T08:00:14.682+00:00I know the feeling all too well, and though I'...I know the feeling all too well, and though I'm tempted to echo Reb's view - don't you dare give up - it's also true that stopping is not necessarily giving up. There are many good and satisfying things to do in life.<br /><br />But whatever you decide, please don't base it on sales or social media. You can write without having to run a business, and yes, there are really some of us out there who think social media a great waste of time, at least for the most part.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-1567654307453796452013-02-27T02:10:47.793+00:002013-02-27T02:10:47.793+00:00Don't you dare give up, Ros. The joy you found...Don't you dare give up, Ros. The joy you found in those quiet moments, not a thought in your head except the pulsing heart in each blank page....This is why you matter as a writer. Surely most of us have moments when we could scream or jump from high bar stools out of sheer disgust at the need for self-promotion. We're writers, not carnival barkers. And yet we all need to try at least to find some balance between the writing and the barking. Your sadness and weariness brought you back to your pure center. I look forward to reading your work.glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.com