Author: hemmiemartin

Letting an idea percolate

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I recognise I can be pretty impatient when it comes to writing. I think of an idea, see the character in my head, know the beginning and the denouement of the story, and my fingers itch to start writing the story. This scatter method had worked in the past when I had novels published by Winter Goose Publishing, and perhaps my brain was more alert back then, or I was less scared of failure; who knows?

I have recently been working diligently on a novel, reaching 64,000 words, and entered the first chapter or 500 words into three competitions after rewriting the beginning of the novel so many times that I felt I could do no more. However, I failed to even get longlisted, which crushed my confidence in the novel, and I have now consigned it to a drawer.

So, I decided to look for the USP of a story – the unique selling point – and I am now percolating the idea instead of jumping straight in. It’s a shock to the system, as I’ve been doing this for a few weeks. I have been jotting down ideas in a notebook, asking myself ‘what if’ questions, and why the story matters. To save myself from getting stumped too soon, I’ve started outlining chapter ideas and giving myself a plan to follow when I’m ready to start writing in the new year.

I have purchased a few non-fiction books for research, hoping I won’t get lost down a rabbit hole if I search the web. I also purchased a BBC Maestro writing course, which was on sale, so I will work through this and absorb the lessons at a gentle pace.

This is a new way of working for me, and I hope it will be a pleasurable experience – I’m sure I’ll tell you either way in a future post!

Christmas is almost upon us, so may I wish you all a happy festive season; however, you celebrate it, and I hope 2025 is full of joy, peace, and good health.

Happy Word Flow One & All, and see you in the New Year!

Pushing Through The First Draft

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If you read my last post, you may remember I was oscillating between which novel to concentrate on. Well, I’m pleased to say I have been diligently working on one for the past few weeks. However, when I reached 54,000 words, I found myself feeling stuck, but rather than feel dejected, I searched for solutions.

The first thing I did was write chapter outlines on sheets of A4. This proved invaluable as it gave me a helicopter—or should that be a drone—view of the novel and its direction. It also highlighted which chapters lacked action and didn’t move the story forward. But this was rather gruelling work and exhausted me, so I went on to the next solution.

This solution was far more invigorating. As I know the denouement of this novel, I decided to write the climax chapter at the end of Act 2, which is full of tension, action, and a twist. The twist came to me as I wrote the chapter and ties in nicely with something I mentioned in Act 1, which boosted my energy levels and joy.

My next plan is to write the resolution chapter as I know what happens, and then all I have to do is work out how to get to these chapters from where I left off. Easy? No! But at least I will know the story’s arc and where I need to add more action and agency for the main character.

This has taught me an invaluable lesson for the next novel I write. I will write the chapter outlines as I go along. That way, I save myself a headache, and when I get stuck, I have the helicopter view to hand.

I am an avid reader, and sometimes, reading a novel ignites something in my brain which is pertinent to the story I am writing. I call it sideways thinking, in that the book I am reading bears no resemblance to what I am writing, but it broadens my mind and relaxes it so I can see things in my peripheral vision. I’m unsure if that makes sense to you, but it works for me!

Happy Word Flow One & All

It’s Been A While

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Alfie, my rescue cat, woke me at 3 am requesting water from the bath tap, so I dragged myself from my warm bed to fulfil my human duty. However, once I returned to bed, I couldn’t get back to sleep for ages, and it was during this time it occurred to me I’d forgotten about my blog!

Much has happened since my last post; some good, and some a bit meh, but that’s life and we must roll with it. Writing wise, I have started two novels, and I’ve returned to my bad habit of flitting between whichever piques my interest at the time. I’ve written 52,000 words for one and around 25,000 words for the other. However, whilst on holiday, an idea for a third novel came to mind, and the voice of the female protagonist was so strong I started jotting down her thoughts and her characteristics. Needless to say, I had to purchase yet another box file to keep all the notecards and notebooks in. Like all writers, I already had a plethora of notebooks at my disposal. I need to book a call with a coach at The Novelry, but I want to be fixed on one novel before I do.

Reading wise, I’m on book 34 of the year, which may not be many for some readers, but I’m not a fast reader. Since becoming a writer, I’ve found I can’t resist studying the craft of the author I am reading, which can sometimes be distracting. My TBR pile is huge, but it hasn’t stopped me from purchasing more books, especially when I see signed copies by my favourite authors. I follow many book bloggers on Instagram and Twitter (I know the name has changed, but…) who review such fabulous books, and my willpower is weak, so I only have myself to blame for acquiring a library of books which may take me years to read. I am a mood reader, so I like a wide range of genres to choose from – that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it!

I have entered two writing competitions, but I know one competition receives over 500 entries, so I’m not holding my breath. As I’ve had books traditionally published, I am excluded from many writing competitions, so it was a joy to find two I could enter.

I am still an avid feeder of the hedgehogs who visit or live in the garden, as well as the numerous species of birds who flock to the bird table and feeders. I find nature good for the soul and mental wellbeing.

I hope you are keeping well, reading plenty, and enjoying life as much as possible.

Happy Word Flow One & All

Getting to know your characters

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I’ve always found it challenging creating characters for a new novel before I put pen to paper. Some people advise compiling a list of the details of each character, such as their birthday, likes, dislikes, character traits, and appearance, before starting the story, but I have always found this rather tricky.

When the idea for a story comes to mind, so do the bare bones of the characters, or at least the main protagonist. I know their age, name (although this can sometimes change along the way), and their role in the story. I am not a planner, although I was when I was writing crime novels, so after letting the initial idea percolate in my mind, I open a new notebook, and begin writing.

As mentioned in a past post, the first draft is for me to explore the story and get to know my characters. But I’ll admit, I’m 40,000 words into the first draft of a new novel, and I’m still getting to grips with the characters. I still haven’t entirely worked out who they really are, how they respond in certain situations, and what makes them tick. However, I am ploughing on with the first draft, knowing that by the end, I will have a clearer idea of who the players are and their story arc. It is only through subsequent drafts that they will finally emerge as more rounded and believable people.

I was so relieved to hear Tayari Jones, author of four novels, most recently An American Marriage, say that this is how she got to know her characters when she was a guest speaker at The Novelry. Her words were like honey on a sore throat, soothing and comforting. I felt validated in my method of working. It is, I acknowledge, ridiculous that I need the reassurance of a famous author to justify my means of working; I’m old enough to be more confident in my methods – but I am not improving with age in the confidence arena!

I like to let the characters inhabit my mind during the day, so even when I am not writing, I listen to them, trying to hear their voices and understand their actions. Throughout writing a novel, there is plenty of time to truly get to know them, fall in love with them, or despise their personality or actions. I have faith that it will eventually happen.

I hope some of this chimes with you.

Happy Word Flow, One & All.

Doubt Is Your Shadow

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I have always thought that when you give birth, not only do you have a baby, but you also give birth to worry, which is your constant companion. You worry not only about the newborn, but it remains in the back of your mind even when your children have flown the nest.

In much the same way, when you become a writer, doubt becomes your constant shadow. It appears when you start writing your first novel, nibbling at your confidence, telling you the story is rubbish and your writing is below par. Even on the days when the words are flowing and the characters are speaking to you, the shadow of doubt will be looming over your shoulder, reminding you of your weaknesses.

I had hoped the shadow would diminish as the years rolled by, especially after taking numerous writing courses, being a member of a fabulous writing community at The Novelry, having several books published, and gaining a literary agent. But it is tenacious. After listening to numerous well-known authors talk about their writing process as guests at The Novelry, I found that doubt was also a constant companion in their writing lives, which was reassuring.

I have come to the conclusion that I must accept my shadow and acknowledge its presence. However, I should attempt to minimise its power and not let it control me. I know that my writing has vastly improved over the years through study, practice and reading, but I also know that there is always room for improvement, which is something I strive for every time I put pen to paper.

Sometimes, I should approach my desk with the relaxed attitude of Alfie, in the above photo, and let the words flow and my characters speak while ignoring the marauding shadow behind me. That’s what I intend to do later today – let’s see how that goes!

Happy Word Flow, One & All.

It’s Still A Waiting Game

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Sculpture in Canterbury.

Even with a Literary Agent by my side, waiting for a publisher to acquire my novel is still a painfully slow journey. I had been warned, but even so, I hadn’t anticipated just how arduous it would feel at times. I did wonder if it was because I’m an unknown name until I heard an inspirational and uplifting talk by Kirstin Chen, who came to The Novelry via Zoom (what a wonderful invention!) to discuss her writing process and her experience of being published.

Chen’s first novel, Soy Sauce for Beginners, initially received nineteen rejections from publishers, and it took her agent eight months to finally sell it, then a further two years before it was published. Chen went on to become a New York Times best-selling author. Her third novel, Counterfeit, became a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and a New York Editors’ choice, as well as numerous other illustrious accolades.

The fact that Chen’s journey had an arduous beginning gives me hope that all is not lost for my novel, Margot Baker Knows Best. However, this doesn’t mean that the wait is any easier, but I have a better idea of what to expect.

So, to keep me from checking my emails too frequently, I’m writing my next novel, reading avidly, and feeding the wildlife in my garden – the fledging blackbirds and starlings are looking nice and plump!

I am delighted that writing brings me so much joy, so I’m happy to sit at my desk five days a week, creating characters and plotlines, and then typing up my handwritten notes over the weekend. But there are no hard and fast rules. Find what works for you, and don’t judge yourself harshly against what other writers do. Ha, if I could adhere to this, I’d be delighted! I’m quick to judge my writing every time I read a new novel, and never in my favour. But that’s another blog post altogether!

I am fortunate to have a few friends at The Novelry in the same boat, so we are supporting one another through this nail-biting time. I have removed the bottle of fizz from the fridge and put it back in the cupboard for now, as seeing it every time I opened the fridge door reminded me that I didn’t have the right excuse to drink it.

If you are waiting, at whatever stage you are at, remember you are not alone. Write something new, read, go for a walk, or whatever takes your fancy. Glass of fizz anyone? No…I didn’t think so

Happy Word Flow One & All