The long wait for the 2009 Francis MacManus shortlist continues.
I don't know why I put myself through this. It's highly unlikely that I'll be shortlisted again. The story I entered this year was written in October, the week before Molly was born. It had some merit - I like to think - but Molly arrived a week early, so it was only revised two or three times.
Nevertheless, I like to imagine that I have a chance. I think the story has a certain atmosphere and immediacy, and it's topical.
On the other hand there were 1200-odd entries this year as against 700-odd last year. No wonder they're later with the shortlist.
And the long wait continues...
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Edit, edit, edit again
I re-edited a short story last week before sending it off again. It's the third trip out into the wild for this particular story. It failed to win the competition I wrote it for in December '08. (At least I assume it did; there was no feedback.) Then it was turned down by a magazine.
It's much better now than it was either of those times though.
Out of curiosity I checked, and I've done 44 backups of that file. I'm a fanatical backer upper since the old days of dodgy floppies and "del *.*", so that represents about 14 or 15 fairly lengthy editing sessions. It's amazing but I'm still finding flaws. Most recently I eliminated several unwieldy paragraphs, replacing them with an elegant line or two. The story will be about four sentences long if I keep this up.
I sent it off to another competition. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does, but probably won't hear anything for at least three months. I also have two other stories out looking for a home, and I splashed out and entered the novel into the Debut Dagger. So things are ticking along.
The baby's only four months old; that's about all I can manage at the moment.
It's much better now than it was either of those times though.
Out of curiosity I checked, and I've done 44 backups of that file. I'm a fanatical backer upper since the old days of dodgy floppies and "del *.*", so that represents about 14 or 15 fairly lengthy editing sessions. It's amazing but I'm still finding flaws. Most recently I eliminated several unwieldy paragraphs, replacing them with an elegant line or two. The story will be about four sentences long if I keep this up.
I sent it off to another competition. I'm looking forward to seeing how it does, but probably won't hear anything for at least three months. I also have two other stories out looking for a home, and I splashed out and entered the novel into the Debut Dagger. So things are ticking along.
The baby's only four months old; that's about all I can manage at the moment.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Yes!
So, it turns out it only takes listening to three lines of my own story to make me cry.
I was delighted with the actress; accents, age, everything was spot on. Overall, I thought it was great.
Two problems:
- Every flaw in the plot, dialogue etc became glaringly obvious to me
- They left out a sentence, or possibly moved it from the beginning of a paragraph to the end. Have to check. But it was a sentence that made sense of the rest of the paragraph. However, I'm told you could still get the gist.
So now I'm a person who has had a story broadcast on the radio. Weird. But good.
I was delighted with the actress; accents, age, everything was spot on. Overall, I thought it was great.
Two problems:
- Every flaw in the plot, dialogue etc became glaringly obvious to me
- They left out a sentence, or possibly moved it from the beginning of a paragraph to the end. Have to check. But it was a sentence that made sense of the rest of the paragraph. However, I'm told you could still get the gist.
So now I'm a person who has had a story broadcast on the radio. Weird. But good.
Will I cry?
So, my story should be on RTE1 in about 38 minutes. I am extremely nervous. Unbelievable that something I made up in my head is going to be broadcast to the nation. Anyone at all can listen!
It's especially weird because I had no input into the recording and have no idea what it'll sound like. The narrator in the story is a 17-year-old girl. The only thing I know about its reader is that she's female. As long as she's under 30 it should be ok.
It could be ok anyway, if done right. Well, there's nothing I can do now. I shan't be ringing RTE in a huff even if I HATE the broadcast, but it's going to be very interesting.
How will I feel when I'm listening? Will I cry?
It's especially weird because I had no input into the recording and have no idea what it'll sound like. The narrator in the story is a 17-year-old girl. The only thing I know about its reader is that she's female. As long as she's under 30 it should be ok.
It could be ok anyway, if done right. Well, there's nothing I can do now. I shan't be ringing RTE in a huff even if I HATE the broadcast, but it's going to be very interesting.
How will I feel when I'm listening? Will I cry?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Welcome Molly!
So, if you've been paying attention you'll have noticed that I haven't posted in three months.
By complete coincidence my daughter Molly was eleven weeks old today. Welcome, Molly!
I may have mentioned in previous posts that there was a major task hanging over me; a novel reorganisation. I wanted to put the murder on page one and move early action to flashbacks from there.
It seemed a Herculean task. I've been pondering it for ages.
Today I decided to just get on with it. I want to enter this years' Debut Dagger, and you only supply the first 3000 words to the competition. No point doing it until the murder's on page one and I'm fairly happy with it.
With Molly gurgling at me from the corner of the sofa, I went through my MS and noted where alterations should be made. It took about an hour. Then I implemented the changes in the doc. That took exactly an hour and five minutes.
Now I can print it out, read through it, and smooth the rough edges. Any inconsistencies introduced by the new order of events can be eliminated. Then I can send it off.
Two hours, for a job that's been hanging over me like the Sword of Damocles for months.
I also removed the childish nickname my characters have for the murder victim. The nickname gave me a distaste for the MS a long time ago. Only now that it's gone do I realise that this is partly why I've done no work on the novel since April.
Of course pregnancy and work commitments were also responsible. But it's a useful insight - if you've come to hate your writing, look for the small changes that'll make you fall in love with it again.
By complete coincidence my daughter Molly was eleven weeks old today. Welcome, Molly!
I may have mentioned in previous posts that there was a major task hanging over me; a novel reorganisation. I wanted to put the murder on page one and move early action to flashbacks from there.
It seemed a Herculean task. I've been pondering it for ages.
Today I decided to just get on with it. I want to enter this years' Debut Dagger, and you only supply the first 3000 words to the competition. No point doing it until the murder's on page one and I'm fairly happy with it.
With Molly gurgling at me from the corner of the sofa, I went through my MS and noted where alterations should be made. It took about an hour. Then I implemented the changes in the doc. That took exactly an hour and five minutes.
Now I can print it out, read through it, and smooth the rough edges. Any inconsistencies introduced by the new order of events can be eliminated. Then I can send it off.
Two hours, for a job that's been hanging over me like the Sword of Damocles for months.
I also removed the childish nickname my characters have for the murder victim. The nickname gave me a distaste for the MS a long time ago. Only now that it's gone do I realise that this is partly why I've done no work on the novel since April.
Of course pregnancy and work commitments were also responsible. But it's a useful insight - if you've come to hate your writing, look for the small changes that'll make you fall in love with it again.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
