I've revealed the author photo my editor and agent chose over on my other blog:
http://cltaylorauthor.wordpress.com
(and which one you guys voted for)
I've also added some short stories (to the cltaylorauthor blog) that I've never published online before (some of them are prize winners). They're all free to read and I'll be adding more over the next few weeks. They're a selection of my darker stories.
I'm considering publishing an ebook anthology of my womag (women's magazine) stories this summer, including two stories that are very special to me. 'My Daughter the Deep Sea Diver' which came third in the Writer's Bureau competition and 'Wish You Were Here' the story that was runner up in the Woman's Own short story competition and gave me the confidence to try writing a novel (Heaven Can Wait).
And today I'm guest posting on Liz Fenwick's blog about why I ran away to Paris aged 25. You can read it here:
http://lizfenwick.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/when-cl-taylor-ran-away.html
(Liz's new book - A Cornish Affair - is out on 23rd May)
Friday, 17 May 2013
Monday, 13 May 2013
I've been cheating on you, I'm sorry (want to run away with me?)
Cheating on you with another blog, that is.
I've started one up on Wordpress so I can blog as my psychological suspense alter ego CL Taylor. It's here:
http://cltaylorauthor.wordpress.com
If you pop over there now you can take a peek at my new 'dark' author photos and vote on which one you like best!
Google Reader is going to be discontinued in July which means that the 337 of you (last time I checked) that subscribe to this blog using that service will stop seeing updates when I add new posts. There are other blog readers out there (I haven't investigated them yet) but my agent uses Wordpress and I like how you can subscribe to receive an email update whenever she adds a new blog post so thought I'd move blogging platforms and kill two birds with one stone.
As you've probably noticed I only blog about once or twice a month so if you do follow me to http://cltaylorauthor.wordpress.com and sign up for the email updates (the form is towards the top right of the page) you'll only receive a couple of emails a month.
I'll still blog here occasionally but, increasingly, I'll be putting my CL Taylor hat on and blogging about writing, and being published in, a new genre so sign up over there if you don't want to miss anything.
Cally 'chicklit' Taylor hasn't completely been abandoned, however. I've got a story called 'Mr Lover Lover' in Belinda Jones's 'Sunlounger' anthology (available on Kindle in July) and I've got an author page up on the terrific http://www.va-va-vacation.com/cally-taylor website she's set up for the launch. Click on the link if you'd like to find out where I set my story and what my worst ever holiday romance involved.
Hopefully see you over on my other blog. I'll be the one looking all dark and menacing!
I've started one up on Wordpress so I can blog as my psychological suspense alter ego CL Taylor. It's here:
http://cltaylorauthor.wordpress.com
If you pop over there now you can take a peek at my new 'dark' author photos and vote on which one you like best!
Google Reader is going to be discontinued in July which means that the 337 of you (last time I checked) that subscribe to this blog using that service will stop seeing updates when I add new posts. There are other blog readers out there (I haven't investigated them yet) but my agent uses Wordpress and I like how you can subscribe to receive an email update whenever she adds a new blog post so thought I'd move blogging platforms and kill two birds with one stone.
As you've probably noticed I only blog about once or twice a month so if you do follow me to http://cltaylorauthor.wordpress.com and sign up for the email updates (the form is towards the top right of the page) you'll only receive a couple of emails a month.
I'll still blog here occasionally but, increasingly, I'll be putting my CL Taylor hat on and blogging about writing, and being published in, a new genre so sign up over there if you don't want to miss anything.
Cally 'chicklit' Taylor hasn't completely been abandoned, however. I've got a story called 'Mr Lover Lover' in Belinda Jones's 'Sunlounger' anthology (available on Kindle in July) and I've got an author page up on the terrific http://www.va-va-vacation.com/cally-taylor website she's set up for the launch. Click on the link if you'd like to find out where I set my story and what my worst ever holiday romance involved.
Hopefully see you over on my other blog. I'll be the one looking all dark and menacing!
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Editor meeting, 100k and a summery short story
Somewhere in the excitement of my book deal news (see previous post) I completely forgot to mention that I completed Sally Quilford's 100,000 words in 100 days challenge! I'd be lying if I said it wasn't really hard work. There were several moments when I felt like throwing in the towel because I was putting so much pressure on myself to write 1,000 words a day no matter what that I started to feel quite stressed (and stressed and writing aren't good bed fellows) but I persevered because I'm stubborn and, when I set myself a challenge, I have to see it through. Anyway, I'm delighted I did complete the challenge now as the first draft of novel 4 now stands at 82,000 words! I've still got another 20,000 words or so to add before I type 'the end' but I don't have to deliver it to my editor until September 2014 so I'm WAY ahead of schedule (which is a good job because it's going to need a hell of a rewrite!).
Talking of my editor - I met her for the first time last Friday. She took me and Maddy (my agent) out to lunch in Chelsea and I spent a lovely couple of hours chatting to her about everything from children's books to sleep deprivation to difficult female friendships (a theme of my 4th book) to breastfeeding (poor Lydia, I told her some real horror stories!). I was buzzing when I travelled home on the train (and not just because we'd shared a bottle of Rose) and I can't wait to see what my future publishing career with Avon HarperCollins will bring.
I've got two weeks until Lydia gives me the edits for 'The Accident' and I'm going to spend the time having a well deserved break from writing. Last week I typed 'the end' on a 6,500 word short story called 'Mr Lover Lover' for Belinda Jones's Sunlounger anthology (out this summer, I'll post when it's available to buy)and I've finally started catching up on my reading. On my TBR pile is 'Wicked Girls' by Alex Marwood, 'Dear Thing' by Julie Cohen and 'Dearest Rose' by Rowan Coleman.
What are you reading?
Talking of my editor - I met her for the first time last Friday. She took me and Maddy (my agent) out to lunch in Chelsea and I spent a lovely couple of hours chatting to her about everything from children's books to sleep deprivation to difficult female friendships (a theme of my 4th book) to breastfeeding (poor Lydia, I told her some real horror stories!). I was buzzing when I travelled home on the train (and not just because we'd shared a bottle of Rose) and I can't wait to see what my future publishing career with Avon HarperCollins will bring.
I've got two weeks until Lydia gives me the edits for 'The Accident' and I'm going to spend the time having a well deserved break from writing. Last week I typed 'the end' on a 6,500 word short story called 'Mr Lover Lover' for Belinda Jones's Sunlounger anthology (out this summer, I'll post when it's available to buy)and I've finally started catching up on my reading. On my TBR pile is 'Wicked Girls' by Alex Marwood, 'Dear Thing' by Julie Cohen and 'Dearest Rose' by Rowan Coleman.
What are you reading?
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
I've got a new book deal! And a new name!
I am absolutely TERRIBLE at keeping secrets so I'm delighted to finally announce that...
I've got a new 2 book deal with Avon HarperCollins for my psychological suspense novels! (see the press announcement here: http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/46596)
And they're going to be published by Sourcebooks in the States too!
Back in March 2012, when I was on maternity leave with the Spudling, I took the somewhat scary decision to write a novel that wasn't chicklit.
AN END TO SILENCE (or 'THE ACCIDENT' as Avon have re-christened it) had been swimming around my brain since the first 1,000 words won the RNA Elizabeth Goudge award in the summer of 2011 and I just had to finish it.
With two published chicklit novels behind me writing a third might have been a more sensible move but I've never been terribly sensible and I've always had a bit of a split personality when it comes to writing. There's the lighthearted chicklit/womag side to me and then there's the darker literary fiction/psychological suspense side, and that side was dying to see the light of day again. I was also hugely, horribly sleep deprived (the Spudling woke me every two hours at night for the first 7 months of his life) and I knew the only way to keep myself sane was to write.
I wrote the first draft of THE ACCIDENT in six months - pouring in all my new fears (that something would happen to my child that I couldn't prevent) and all my old fears (that a sociopathic ex boyfriend would reappear in my life) and I sent it to my agent at the end of last year, utterly terrified she'd tell me that it was drivel and that maybe I should have a good night's sleep and reconsider my writing career instead.
I must have clicked refresh on my email inbox a hundred, thousand times in the next five days!
When an email did reply I nearly exploded with relief. Maddy didn't hate what I'd written, she LOVED it. She said it was the best thing that I've ever written.
(I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried when I read that).
And now someone else loves THE ACCIDENT as much as Maddy and I - my new editor Lydia NewHouse at Avon HarperCollins (who publish bestsellers like Miranda Dickinson, Mhairi MacFarlane and Alex Walters) - and I'm utterly delighted that it's going to be published, under my new pseudonym C.L. Taylor, in June 2014.
And it's going to be published in the USA too. The USA! I have always, always, dreamed of getting a book published in the States and now it's going to happen. And in Germany (Piper). And Italy (Longanesi). And Poland (Proszynski). And Brazil (Bertrand Brasil).
I'm aware I probably sound like Little Miss Showy Off Pants with this post but 2012 was craptastic for so many, many reasons (I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the worst year of my life) and I hoped and I prayed that 2013 would be better.
It looks like it is...
I've got a new 2 book deal with Avon HarperCollins for my psychological suspense novels! (see the press announcement here: http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/46596)
And they're going to be published by Sourcebooks in the States too!
Back in March 2012, when I was on maternity leave with the Spudling, I took the somewhat scary decision to write a novel that wasn't chicklit.
AN END TO SILENCE (or 'THE ACCIDENT' as Avon have re-christened it) had been swimming around my brain since the first 1,000 words won the RNA Elizabeth Goudge award in the summer of 2011 and I just had to finish it.
With two published chicklit novels behind me writing a third might have been a more sensible move but I've never been terribly sensible and I've always had a bit of a split personality when it comes to writing. There's the lighthearted chicklit/womag side to me and then there's the darker literary fiction/psychological suspense side, and that side was dying to see the light of day again. I was also hugely, horribly sleep deprived (the Spudling woke me every two hours at night for the first 7 months of his life) and I knew the only way to keep myself sane was to write.
I wrote the first draft of THE ACCIDENT in six months - pouring in all my new fears (that something would happen to my child that I couldn't prevent) and all my old fears (that a sociopathic ex boyfriend would reappear in my life) and I sent it to my agent at the end of last year, utterly terrified she'd tell me that it was drivel and that maybe I should have a good night's sleep and reconsider my writing career instead.
I must have clicked refresh on my email inbox a hundred, thousand times in the next five days!
When an email did reply I nearly exploded with relief. Maddy didn't hate what I'd written, she LOVED it. She said it was the best thing that I've ever written.
(I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried when I read that).
And now someone else loves THE ACCIDENT as much as Maddy and I - my new editor Lydia NewHouse at Avon HarperCollins (who publish bestsellers like Miranda Dickinson, Mhairi MacFarlane and Alex Walters) - and I'm utterly delighted that it's going to be published, under my new pseudonym C.L. Taylor, in June 2014.
And it's going to be published in the USA too. The USA! I have always, always, dreamed of getting a book published in the States and now it's going to happen. And in Germany (Piper). And Italy (Longanesi). And Poland (Proszynski). And Brazil (Bertrand Brasil).
I'm aware I probably sound like Little Miss Showy Off Pants with this post but 2012 was craptastic for so many, many reasons (I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the worst year of my life) and I hoped and I prayed that 2013 would be better.
It looks like it is...
Monday, 11 March 2013
What do you do when writing becomes a 'job' rather than a hobby?
Back before I had a novel published I considered writing my hobby. It was something I did for fun in the evenings or if I had a few hours spare at the weekend.
I wrote in a notebook - overheard conversations on the Tube, snippets of dialogue, diary entries, flash fiction (before I knew it was flash fiction) - and it was always for my eyes only. There was no pressure to write anything brilliant, no worries about reviewer and reader opinions, no consideration of sales figures, no nothing. It was a release after a hard day, a way to amuse myself on long journeys, a bit 'of fun'.
It wasn't until I got involved in the online writing community that I considered entering writing competitions or getting my work published. Of course I'd always dreamt of getting a novel published but, back in 2006, I hadn't even finished writing one, so I concentrated on short stories instead. I started entering competitions, just out of curiosity. I didn't place anywhere but I noticed that some of the same names were cropping up again and again so I did a bit of Googling and found that some of them were part of an online 'bootcamp'. Curious to know what their secret was I signed up. And found out. I learnt more about crafting short stories in six months than I had in the rest of my life. It was a fairly brutal learning experience and it nearly put me off writing all together but I learnt loads. I also starting placing in writing competitions. I even won a few.
Next I decided to have a go at getting some of my stories published. First I challenged myself to get some published in online ezines, then some literary journals and then, after I was placed runner up in the Woman's Own short story competition, I decided to have a go at getting published in 'womags'. I didn't meet all of the challenges I set myself (I still haven't managed to get a story into Woman's Weekly) but I met enough. And that's when I decided to try and write a novel - and then get it published.
Fast forward several years and I'm now writing my fourth novel. It's under contract so, officially, I HAVE to write it. I want to write it, I wouldn't continue writing if I didn't enjoy it, but it's not 'for fun' anymore. There are expectations now that didn't exist when I started off (externally and internally) and it's my second job rather than my hobby.
I used to consider kickboxing my hobby but then I got pregnant and I'm far too unfit to consider re-joining a class (though am trying to work on the unfit thing). I tried Zumba for a few months but, while I enjoyed it, it wasn't exactly a hobby. I even asked for a keyboard for Christmas thinking I might try getting into playing piano (previously abandoned aged 14) but it's still in its box (maybe the Spudling would like to learn to play one day?).
And then, last Christmas, I went along to a local Christmas craft fayre that one of the book club ladies told me about. You paid £5, got a free glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, and then sat yourself down at one of the crafty tables and got stuck in! And get stuck in I did - by an hour and a half later I'd made myself a felt bird and a little felt house that lit up when you put an electronic tea light under it. I thought that was it - an evening of crafting over - but I was bitten by the bug and the next day I found myself googling 'Christmas toy felt patterns' and buying material, buttons and thread on ebay.
By Christmas day I'd made:
I haven't made anything since (talk about crafting burn out!) but a new hobby has definitely been born. There's something very relaxing about hand stitching while you're watching TV or a film (and it helps my writerly arse by stopping me from snacking!).
One of the wonderful things about Facebook is all the great crafting businesses you can like, follow and buy from. I follow loads and I've always loved Cupcakes for Clara and her beautiful designs and 'make it' kits. Last week I entered a competition to win her animal kits:
And today I found out that I WON!!! I am ridiculously excited, not least because a lion ("Rawwr!") is the Spudling's favourite toy at the moment. I can see I'm going to be busy for a while...
What's your hobby? Has it changed over the years or is there one you always come back to?
I wrote in a notebook - overheard conversations on the Tube, snippets of dialogue, diary entries, flash fiction (before I knew it was flash fiction) - and it was always for my eyes only. There was no pressure to write anything brilliant, no worries about reviewer and reader opinions, no consideration of sales figures, no nothing. It was a release after a hard day, a way to amuse myself on long journeys, a bit 'of fun'.
It wasn't until I got involved in the online writing community that I considered entering writing competitions or getting my work published. Of course I'd always dreamt of getting a novel published but, back in 2006, I hadn't even finished writing one, so I concentrated on short stories instead. I started entering competitions, just out of curiosity. I didn't place anywhere but I noticed that some of the same names were cropping up again and again so I did a bit of Googling and found that some of them were part of an online 'bootcamp'. Curious to know what their secret was I signed up. And found out. I learnt more about crafting short stories in six months than I had in the rest of my life. It was a fairly brutal learning experience and it nearly put me off writing all together but I learnt loads. I also starting placing in writing competitions. I even won a few.
Next I decided to have a go at getting some of my stories published. First I challenged myself to get some published in online ezines, then some literary journals and then, after I was placed runner up in the Woman's Own short story competition, I decided to have a go at getting published in 'womags'. I didn't meet all of the challenges I set myself (I still haven't managed to get a story into Woman's Weekly) but I met enough. And that's when I decided to try and write a novel - and then get it published.
Fast forward several years and I'm now writing my fourth novel. It's under contract so, officially, I HAVE to write it. I want to write it, I wouldn't continue writing if I didn't enjoy it, but it's not 'for fun' anymore. There are expectations now that didn't exist when I started off (externally and internally) and it's my second job rather than my hobby.
I used to consider kickboxing my hobby but then I got pregnant and I'm far too unfit to consider re-joining a class (though am trying to work on the unfit thing). I tried Zumba for a few months but, while I enjoyed it, it wasn't exactly a hobby. I even asked for a keyboard for Christmas thinking I might try getting into playing piano (previously abandoned aged 14) but it's still in its box (maybe the Spudling would like to learn to play one day?).
And then, last Christmas, I went along to a local Christmas craft fayre that one of the book club ladies told me about. You paid £5, got a free glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, and then sat yourself down at one of the crafty tables and got stuck in! And get stuck in I did - by an hour and a half later I'd made myself a felt bird and a little felt house that lit up when you put an electronic tea light under it. I thought that was it - an evening of crafting over - but I was bitten by the bug and the next day I found myself googling 'Christmas toy felt patterns' and buying material, buttons and thread on ebay.
By Christmas day I'd made:
- SIX birds (one for each of the female members of my family)
- a Russian Babushka tree ornament (for a friend)
- a gnome (really should have been a Father Christmas)
- and a blue penguin (I didn't have any black)
I haven't made anything since (talk about crafting burn out!) but a new hobby has definitely been born. There's something very relaxing about hand stitching while you're watching TV or a film (and it helps my writerly arse by stopping me from snacking!).
One of the wonderful things about Facebook is all the great crafting businesses you can like, follow and buy from. I follow loads and I've always loved Cupcakes for Clara and her beautiful designs and 'make it' kits. Last week I entered a competition to win her animal kits:
What's your hobby? Has it changed over the years or is there one you always come back to?
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Me, on the telebox with Noel Edmonds!
What?! I never said I was actually ON Deal or No Deal!
Although I did get quite into being a 'pilgrim' in the audience. Check out my 'oh nooooooo, you just opened the wrong box' face!
Anyone else been in the audience (or a contestant) on TV? It's definitely worth doing once.
Although I did get quite into being a 'pilgrim' in the audience. Check out my 'oh nooooooo, you just opened the wrong box' face!
Anyone else been in the audience (or a contestant) on TV? It's definitely worth doing once.
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Editors, subplots and monkeys with typewriters...
Just thought I'd share some websites I stumbled across this week and a book on writing I highly recommend. More on those in a bit.
I'm also pleased to report that Sally Quilford's '100,000 words in 100 days' challenge is a roaring success. There are over 300 of us in the Facebook group (the comraderie is wonderful) and the 103 writers who fill out the daily wordcount spreadsheet have now hit a million words (written since 1st January).
After a rocky start (I really should have done some more plotting beforehand!) I'm pretty much on target now - it's day 22 and I've written 21,500 words. 'Pantsing' this novel is scary but I'm enjoying the thrill of the characters leading the plot rather than the other way round. I'm going to have to do a hell of a rewrite afterwards but, considering I'll have written the first draft in just over 3 months if I complete the challenge, I think that was always going to be inevitable!
Anyway, here are the links I've found useful or interesting this week:
What UK fiction editors are looking for in 2013 - http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/2013/01/12/what-fiction-editors-want
The anatomy of a Kindle bestseller - http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/01/21/self-publishing-success-kindle-bestseller/
Seven ways to add great subplots to your novels - http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/7-ways-to-add-great-subplots-to-your-novel
And the 'how to write' book I mentioned earlier?
Scarlett Thomas's 'Monkeys with Typewriters'.
I have DOZENS of how to write books on my shelves and I've learned something from all of them but this book is a cut above. If you've already read a gazillion basic chapters on plot, character and language and need something a bit more thought-provoking, something that goes a bit deeper and teaches you something you didn't know then this is the book for you. For instance, Scarlett talks about characters having 'super objectives'. These aren't the 'I want' desires that a character might share with friends or family, these are the subconscious desires that make someone act the way they act, make them choose A over B, that shape their lives, and when two characters have opposing super objectives meet you've got conflict just waiting to happen. It's fascinating stuff and has made me view the characters in the novel I'm writing in a whole new light. And that's just the chapter on character. I highly recommend this book.
I'm also pleased to report that Sally Quilford's '100,000 words in 100 days' challenge is a roaring success. There are over 300 of us in the Facebook group (the comraderie is wonderful) and the 103 writers who fill out the daily wordcount spreadsheet have now hit a million words (written since 1st January).
After a rocky start (I really should have done some more plotting beforehand!) I'm pretty much on target now - it's day 22 and I've written 21,500 words. 'Pantsing' this novel is scary but I'm enjoying the thrill of the characters leading the plot rather than the other way round. I'm going to have to do a hell of a rewrite afterwards but, considering I'll have written the first draft in just over 3 months if I complete the challenge, I think that was always going to be inevitable!
Anyway, here are the links I've found useful or interesting this week:
What UK fiction editors are looking for in 2013 - http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/2013/01/12/what-fiction-editors-want
The anatomy of a Kindle bestseller - http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/01/21/self-publishing-success-kindle-bestseller/
Seven ways to add great subplots to your novels - http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/7-ways-to-add-great-subplots-to-your-novel
And the 'how to write' book I mentioned earlier?
Scarlett Thomas's 'Monkeys with Typewriters'.
I have DOZENS of how to write books on my shelves and I've learned something from all of them but this book is a cut above. If you've already read a gazillion basic chapters on plot, character and language and need something a bit more thought-provoking, something that goes a bit deeper and teaches you something you didn't know then this is the book for you. For instance, Scarlett talks about characters having 'super objectives'. These aren't the 'I want' desires that a character might share with friends or family, these are the subconscious desires that make someone act the way they act, make them choose A over B, that shape their lives, and when two characters have opposing super objectives meet you've got conflict just waiting to happen. It's fascinating stuff and has made me view the characters in the novel I'm writing in a whole new light. And that's just the chapter on character. I highly recommend this book.
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