tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42608421299156045542024-03-13T05:07:26.836-07:00Writer in the atticFor anyone interested in sharing the struggles and successes of a writer who won't give up!Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-25790411939799599722017-09-21T02:34:00.001-07:002017-09-21T02:34:57.875-07:00Author Visit to Broseley C of E School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reading my story ( photo Julie Phillips)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had the pleasure of being invited for another school visit recently. It was one of the best experiences I have had and yet again the children inspired me with their creativity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I started by reading my book ' Every White Horse' then brought my props out again. I had collected even more since my last school visit including unicorn food, pine cones and a very sparkly model unicorn that I had painted. As they were passed around, they seemed to love the fact that as they handled it, the glitter came off onto their hands causing much excitement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Following this session, I then showed them how I had prepared for writing my book with a storyboard and then set them a small task. It was to come up with their perfect pet and draw a picture of it. I was so impressed with their written and artwork and we had so much fun coming up with names. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We finished off with a question and answer session which was hilarious. I was asked so many funny questions from how many unicorns I would like to keep to what my favourite colour was. They were all really interested in what else I was writing and what I was reading myself. It sparked off some great conversation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I left feeling so high from this wonderful experience and look forward to carrying out further workshops in the future. </span><br />
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Storyboard for Every White Horse<br />
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Some of the perfect pets they came up with<br />
<br />Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-16833975986459755132017-01-22T05:44:00.000-08:002017-01-22T05:52:44.427-08:00A few more fences to jump.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After nearly three years I am in the final stages of publishing my real life story 'The Painted Pony' about my beautiful horse Chad.<br />
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He wasn't a famous horse but he was loved by so many people locally and it's been difficult in so many ways as I suppose it's verging on being autobiographical. I am not a famous person but some how me and Chad clocked up so many years, sharing good and bad times together that I felt were worth recording in written form.<br />
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He changed me from a painfully shy child to the person I am today, maybe a little crazy but I do have more confidence in my mature years and Chad was the beginning of that change. <br />
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Self publishing isn't easy but with a story like this which would not be commercial enough to sell, it was the only option. I am glad I went down this route as I have been able to include all the photographs that I want, choose the front cover and it will only be read by people who want to read about Chad. <br />
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Proof reading is one of my weakest points and although I have read it over and over again on the computer, it's amazing how many little mistakes keep showing up or hiding from me after so many years. <br />
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With this in mind I uploaded it onto a self publishing site in A4 size with extra spaces and pages to scribble notes and alterations on. It's working so well and things are jumping out at me straight away, yet when I read it on my computer, my eyes just scanned over them.<br />
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It's been great to see how the photographs work with the text too as there will probably be a lot of re-sizing, or re-positioning required before it looks right.<br />
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A few more fences to jump then hopefully 'The Painted Pony' will be getting to the finish!<br />
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My A4 version of 'The Painted Pony' </div>
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(Plenty of room for scribbling notes)</div>
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-25601075769573012022016-03-20T02:38:00.000-07:002016-03-20T02:38:03.909-07:00First Author School Visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had the opportunity to attend my first 'Author' school visit recently and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had as a Writer. <br />
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I had great fun in the days leading up to the event too as I hunted the local charity shops for props. I found so many interesting things including this wonderful old camera case which turned out to be perfect to put all my bits and bobs inside. <br />
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When I arrived the teacher showed me to the class room and there I saw my book on a huge screen. Soon the small class joined me and it was great to see their reaction when I put on my story telling cloak. They gathered round the screen and acted it out with story telling techniques. It was incredible to see my story so animated by a class of seven year olds.<br />
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Following that I brought out my case and one by one fetched out my props - Uther the unicorn, silver water, unicorn food, clover and a little white horse. They were mesmerised by them and we had such fun as they passed Uther round. It difficult to take him away, especially when one little girl asked if he could stay for tea!<br />
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After that I gave them a chance to try on my cloak, they loved it and all had their picture taken before we did the question and answer session. I was thrilled at the interesting questions they had come up with. I wasn't sure what to expect as at that age they could come up with the most random things but they were great and very interesting.<br />
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We finished off with me reading my story 'Every White Horse' to them. I don't usually feel that confident when reading out loud but they made me feel so relaxed that I really enjoyed it. That was such good fun and so rewarding as a writer to share the magic with the people I am writing for.<br />
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I just hope I get to do it again sometime. Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-33284970161011674402016-01-17T04:49:00.002-08:002016-01-17T04:49:59.020-08:00Into the deep end<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been a very sad few weeks with the death of David Bowe, he was so influential for so many of us. I have so many memories from my childhood and teenage years. Just like many out there, I can relate different songs to particular things that were going on in my life. I am even able to pinpoint songs to an exact time and place. <br />
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I was moved by this quote and really want to apply it to my writing. For years I have just stuck at what I feel comfortable with in writing for children but this has made me want to push a few boundaries and see what happens. <br />
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I find myself inspired by so many other genres this year and though I will continue to write my children's stories, I feel like branching out into other things. <br />
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Thanks David, even after you have gone, you continue to inspire and motivate people.<br />
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<br />Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-72809797161630076712016-01-05T06:15:00.000-08:002016-01-05T06:20:06.459-08:00New Year, new start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's been such a hectic time since I last posted. My latest book 'Every White Horse' has taken me months of hard work to get right but now I am thrilled with the end result.</span><br />
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For months I experienced all sorts of problems. The images were difficult to upload with text and the front cover had to be shrunk down which is a pity but I am still happy with how it looks. </span><br />
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I was very lucky to have a great illustrator - Artist Hannah Dyson who not only did the cover but illustrated the entire book too. It's amazing how pictures can really bring a story to life and as this is intended for the younger reader 5-7, that is a vital ingredient of a good book for children. </span><br />
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We had so much fun over the Summer months as she used my own pony Brodie as a model. He didn't stand still long enough for her to sketch but we did get some photographs for her to refer to as well. </span><br />
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So now the work continues. Never let it be said that self publishing is easy. There are so many things that you have to take responsibility for which you would have to do with a traditional publisher but it is great to see it through from start to finish and have the control. </span><br />
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Well worth the effort if you have the time and patience!</span><br />
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-8847770311450003902014-11-05T03:08:00.000-08:002014-11-05T03:08:48.771-08:00 A change in direction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Forgive me fellow bloggers it's too long since I last did an update. <br />
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This year has flown and with the wonderful weather, I have spent nearly every lunch hour through the summer, sitting on the banks of the river Severn with my note pad. I have written lots of poems as part of my Bardic course with the British Druid Order and made endless notes for future projects. These times have been so idyllic, only the odd dog would stop and acknowledge me as I sat in my perfect writing environment, the words seemed to flow as easily as the river itself. It was only the church clock chiming that would remind me to get back to work. <br />
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I also started penning another children's novel for which the deadline was February 2015 if I wanted to get it looked at by a particular publisher but then just as the summer ends, so did all these projects because I had to take a change in direction.<br />
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In early September I lost my beautiful old horse Chad, he was a massive part of my life for over 34 years. I had started writing about him last year when I entered <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NanoWrimo</a> and managed to get 50,000 words down, but of course it didn't have an ending then and it was very rough and ready as is the norm with the madness of NanoWrimo. <br />
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These sad circumstances gave me that change in direction and fresh motivation to write his story. This time I want to take it steady. There is no rush. I want to capture every last detail of how that special horse affected me and the other people in my life.<br />
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I have been doing a lot of research on these real life stories and I do find it a little scary that I will have to put quite a bit about myself in there too. I find this difficult as I worry about how far to go. As with many people there are things in my life that I would rather not rake up again but our lives were inter-twined. I can't write his story without telling a bit of mine too and really get across how much that horse changed my life. He changed it when he came into it and he changed it when he went out of it. He changed me from a painfully shy child lacking in confidence to someone who feels at ease when talking to people.<br />
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It will be a challenge, I have read so many creative non-fiction books to get an idea of how to go about it. '<i>Marley and Me'</i> by John Grogan was amazing and the interview at the back of the book was so helpful. His advice is to tell the story fully and honestly, do not hold back on detail and believe in yourself.<br />
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With these words of advice I have to give it a go, I owe it to him.<br />
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<br />Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-18002184440612388682014-01-26T04:52:00.000-08:002014-01-26T04:52:58.738-08:00Get Snapping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently attended an excellent work shop run by Simon Whaley (pictured above) about how you can make money by taking even the most basic photographs. Magazines such as TAB and That's Life pay good money for just a photograph with very few words, so it's a great market to get into as well as producing pictures to accompany a full length article.<br />
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I have had some success in this area and on some occasions have been paid more for the photograph than I have the article. I have a decent camera, though not an expensive SLR, it does have a few features on it that can produce a decent looking photograph. I took the photo above of Simon photographing a random otter on Aberdovey beach last November. It was a pure chance encounter of what is usually a very elusive creature and thank goodness we both had our cameras with us. This has made me realise that it is a good idea to always have a camera to hand even if it is a phone one as you never know when these opportunities are going to present themselves.<br />
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Simon's workshop really made me want to try even harder. I love photography but have not pushed myself to develop my skills. For years I have been using the automatic setting on my camera instead of playing around and changing the various settings to get different effects. His book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Compass-Points-Photography-Writers-photos/dp/1780999356/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390132200&sr=1-7&keywords=whaley+simon">Photography for Writers</a> is an excellent tool to get anyone started on making money from a simple snapshot.<br />
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So, now I have read it cover to cover, I have set myself a challenge that I am going to try and send a photograph to somewhere every week and see what happens. <br />
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<br />Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-23103175484794012802014-01-13T06:15:00.002-08:002014-01-13T06:15:40.242-08:00Blog Chain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I would like to thank <a href="http://simonwhaleytutor.blogspot.co.uk/">Simon Whaley</a> , bestselling Author, Writer and Photographer for making me part of this blog chain and <a href="http://tracyfells.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/writing-on-blog-chain.html">Tracey Fells</a> who started this particular blog chain off. I like the idea of us all having a link in the chain and show what we are doing at a particular time of the year. I always get inspiration from other Writers so this is a great way of sharing what we are up to. <br />
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The idea is that we all asked a set of the same questions. So here goes!<br />
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<span style="color: red;">1) What am I working on?</span><br />
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At the moment I am writing a series of children's stories. I think the way to go sometimes is to show a publisher that you have more than one book in you, so that is what I am trying to do. I am just about to send the first one off but I have ideas for several stories using the same character. <br />
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I am also working on a lot of non-fiction ideas in the magazine market as I enjoy writing articles too.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?</span><br />
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I feel that in my fiction writing, I like to write magical stories set in real time and the real world ( though that may change one day) I like to have ordinary characters living a normal life where sometimes magical things happen to them. When I say to people I like to write children's stories I often get the answer ' So are you the next J K Rowling?' Well, as much as I would love to have her success, I know it will not happen as I do not write like her and could not even begin to try. I want to go my own way with my own work and hope that one day, my stories will reach a wider audience.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">3)Why do I write what I do?</span><br />
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I am inspired by nature and animals, so that is always the starting point for me. When I am in a particular place, I may see something - an animal, a landscape or perhaps a building, then I work my characters around it to develop a story. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">4) How does my writing process work?</span><br />
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This varies from day to day. I would love to say I have a set routine but I haven't. I do always have a notebook to hand and have often had to pull in to a lay by while I have been driving if I have an idea that I don't want to forget. I love to scribble, even it it's one word or a sentence that makes me want to build on it and create a story or an article later on.<br />
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Most of the time I start writing notes by hand then transfer them to the computer. Yet with blogging I prefer to get stuck in straight away.<br />
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So that is where I pass this blog chain over and I would like to nominate Carrole Anne Carr, a very successful author and writer of Children's stories. This includes <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Wolf-Carole-Anne-Carr/dp/0955981808">'First Wolf'</a> a wonderful Children's novel which has been a great success <a href="http://caroleannecarr.blogspot.co.uk/">http://caroleannecarr.blogspot.co.uk/</a>Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-4496116404901842562013-10-28T03:48:00.000-07:002013-10-28T03:48:01.556-07:00It's Nano time again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wasn't going to take part in <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWrimo</a> this year. Although I found the crazy challenge of writing a novel in 30 days exciting and even enjoyable last year, this time I felt that I didn't have another novel in me. <br />
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I am so glad that has changed and it was all due to me attending the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/wrekinwriters/">Wrekin Writers</a> workshop which was part of the <a href="http://www.wellington-shropshire.gov.uk/literary-festival/">Wellington literary festival</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.katelongbooks.com/">Kate Long</a>, bestselling author of 'The Bad Mother's Handbook', ran an excellent work shop on creating characters at speed which I found so useful but it was the warm up exercise that got me inspired and gave me the thirst to keep on writing without stopping. The exercise was simply to start with the line ' I remember' and when I started writing, my pen didn't leave the page. It was a great feeling as I scribbled down everything 'I could remember' and the words just seemed to flow out of me. <br />
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I chose a personal topic that has been a part of my life since I was a child and so I was able to write without even thinking about it, I loved the feeling of putting pen to paper and not even questioning what I was writing down - because it was real. <br />
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During the break I talked to <a href="http://bryanvaughan.co.uk/">Bryan Vaughan</a>, a very successful Nano participant and very talented writer. His enthusiasm got to me while we were talking but again, I still didn't have the desire to enter.<br />
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But then a few days later something happened to change my mind when inspiration struck. I love those days when something literally does pop into your head. I got that feeling the moment I woke up. An idea came to me and so I had the urge to enter NanoWrimo again and write another story. The difference with this one is it will be a true story. The story of 'Chad' my beatufiul horse that has been a friend to me since I was aged 14. We have grown up together and shared a lifetime of experiences, most of them wonderful and some of them dreadful. He has seen me go from a horse mad teenager with plaits to a horse mad middle aged woman with a bob and I have seen a true gentleman grow old while still having a passion for chocolate and polo mints. <br />
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I have never until now thought about 'true life' stories so this is very different for me, I am not a famous person and Chad is only a part of my own familiy life, to me that doesn't matter. It may not be a best selling novel but I do know that I can certainly write 50,000 words over 30 days about it.<br />
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So here goes, roll on the 1st November, I can't wait to start. <br />
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<br />Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-66708179100396386062013-08-04T23:45:00.001-07:002013-08-04T23:48:11.363-07:00Be Aware<div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I always think it's amazing when a single event can lead to a complete change of path or the way you think. <br />
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This has definitely happened for me over the last few months when I started my one year Bardic course with the British Druid Order. You can read more about my journey if you wish on my other blog <a href="http://thepaganapprentice.blogspot.co.uk/">The Pagan Apprentice</a> but this post is about how it has opened up so many opportunities that have turned into writing successes.<br />
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I mentioned the World Drum in my previous post and now my article has been published in Kindred Spirit magazine too. This article came about because of my involvement with the British Druid order who invited me to an event then allowed me to interview their founder and chief ,Greywolf on how he felt about the World drum coming to Great Britain. It was a wonderful experience to interview and talk to someone and I gained so much inspiration from our chat.<br />
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Since I have started the course I have learnt and been encouraged to be aware of everything around me at all times. This is so important with writing of any kind and it has helped me find inspiration every single day just because I am aware of what is around me, particular in nature and the earth. <br />
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When I wake up I am aware of what sounds I can hear and on my drive to work I see all sorts of things that sometimes I may have let go and forgotten about. During my day at work I listen, I see, I smell, I feel and I take it all in then scribble it down in my trusty notebook ready for a time I may need to use it.<br />
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Life is busy and it is hard to be like this all the time but I am trying to make it part of my daily routine so that when I want to write about a wind swept hill or a a forest dappled with sunshine, I can, even though I may not be near one at the time. It is about ceasing every opportunity you are in and being aware of everything going on in it so that you can put that into your writing.<br />
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The picture in this post was taken by Elaine Gregory when we were up on the top of the snow covered Titterstone Clee hill in April. I met the world drum and some wonderful people and I do believe that every moment I was there, I have kept in my memory as I was so inspired by it all. This was one of my life events that has motivated me into a different path and trying out all sorts of writing outside of my comfort zone. <br />
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So, be aware. Aware of everything you do and see, try something different, a new hobby or perhaps visit a place you have never been to, you never know where it may lead. Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-70326855358782102202013-04-27T08:39:00.000-07:002013-04-27T08:39:28.438-07:00A very special edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been writing for my local parish magazine for some time now and was thrilled to see my article on the <a href="http://www.theworlddrum.com/">World Drum</a> in this months issue. I was lucky enough to see this amazing creation when it came to South Shropshire and actually got to play it on top of the Titterstone Clee. The whole experience has left me full of inspiration and at the moment I can't stop writing about one thing or another. It's as though it has given me something, a constant beat of motivation that won't leave me and now I have so many projects going on at the same time.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Diane Perry (first left) with members of the British Druid Order on Titterstone Clee</span><br />
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This feels strange for me as usually I have to stick to one thing but I can't at the moment, my head is bursting with ideas that I want to get down while they are still fresh in my mind and it is paying off as I have already submitted a few articles and several letters as well as completing the first draft of a children's book. <br />
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This edition of West of the Clee is very special for another reason too, as apparently a pair of Red Kites have been spotted in Stoke St Milborough which is just across the way from where I live. I saw one about ten miles away from my home the other week but this is incredible. It feels like my novel <span style="color: #cc0000;">'Red Kite'</span> is actually coming true. After all these years of writing about red kites on the clee they are actually coming to the area for real.<br />
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I don't get paid for any of the work in this magazine but that doesn't matter, to see my work in such a lovely little publication is payment enough for me. <br />
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-75520393118835232462013-03-31T06:20:00.000-07:002013-03-31T06:31:31.563-07:00What's the question?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Thanks to <a href="http://jlpwritersquest.blogspot.co.uk/">Julie Phillips</a> who invited me to take part in this question and answer blog. I believe this originally came from Jane Wenham-Jones and then Lynne Hackles so I feel very privileged to be part of the blog question chain. I like this sort of thing as it gets people to know a little bit more about me. It's a nice way of finding out little bits of information that may not normally be published in a blog post. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. Where were you born and where do you live at the moment? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I was born in Madeley, Shropshire. I loved it as a child. We had an old ruined court house, miles of woods and fields to play in and wonderful community spirit on the crescent where I lived. I now live near to Ludlow on the edge of a small village, it's quite remote, we don't even have a phone box but that's how I love it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. Have you always lived and worked in Britain or are you based elsewhere at present?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I have always lived and worked in Shropshire, I am a true Shropshire lass.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. Which is your favourite part of Britain?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Around the Lizzard in Cornwall is my favourite but I am drawn to all the Celtic areas of Britain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. Have you ‘highlighted’ or ‘showcased’ any particular part of Britain in your books? For example, a town or city; a county, a monument or some well-known place or event?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My book 'Red Kite' is set around the South Shropshire hills, mainly the Titterstone Clee which is almost in my back garden! I loved doing the research for it as every time I walked up there, I could walk the footsteps of my main character, this made him very real to me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. There is an illusion – or myth if you wish – about British people that I would like you to discuss. Many see the ‘Brits’ as ‘stiff upper lip’. Is that correct? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Maybe during the war this was the case but I don’t believe it is today. Some people get on with it no matter what but others - well!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. Tell us about one of your recent books</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I have just self published my book ‘Red Kite’ It’s a teenage book about a boy who trying to cope with the death of his brother and is bullied at school. His only joy is that of birdwatching but he is prevented from even enjoying that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">I want to show that there is still a lot of young people who are really into nature and conservation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. What are you currently working on?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I am writing a series of younger children’s books in the 5-7 age group and also a non-fiction book for the same age about dinosaurs. When I have those done I am hoping to write some more magazine articles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. How do you spend your leisure time?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I have two horses and four chickens so they take up quite a bit of time. I love spending time out in the garden too. I am fascinated in the Pagan way of life and am studying Wicca at the moment. I love golf and am having lessons. It was something my Dad was very good at. I just got the urge to learn one day. I have also just taken up playing the Ukulele but I am not very good. When I am not doing any of those things I love writing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. Do you write for a local audience or a global audience?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I hope to reach a global audience with my books but my magazine articles are usually focused on a local audience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Q. Can you provide links to your work?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">I have two other blogs and my page on Amazon </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="http://insidethechickencoop.blogspot.com/">http://insidethechickencoop.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="http://thepaganapprentice.blogspot.com/">http://thepaganapprentice.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diane-Perry/e/B00A9SUFPI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.amazon.com/Diane-Perry/e/B00A9SUFPI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span>Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-45894541867765209062013-03-22T05:57:00.000-07:002013-03-22T05:57:37.102-07:00Lots of Red Kites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I took my first delivery of several copies of 'Red Kite' today. It may be a small box but it's the start of my stocking up of copies in the hope that one day I will sell them all. It's expensive to order large numbers so I will probably just order a few each month and build my supplies that way.<br />
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Until now, I was only ordering one at a time. That's the scary thing with self publishing, I had to make sure it was right before sending it out into the world. It was only me making the decisions and I had no one else to blame if it wasn't right. The first few attempts were terrible as there was so much to think about. Each time I received my solitary copy, it came back looking odd with the spine too thin, then the next time it looked like a telephone directory as I kept on changing the layout which altered the thickness of the book. Then I forgot to put the ISBN number on so that was another copy wasted really. <br />
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Finally, I got my act together and was satisfied with the result so took the plunge of ordering a few more copies which arrived today. <br />
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Now the hard work starts of marketing it which to me is even harder than writing it but I have a few plans, some may be crazy but I am going to give it my best shot. Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-11538294401234192672013-02-11T07:35:00.000-08:002013-02-11T07:35:15.371-08:00It's not always about the money<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've had a really good start to my writing year with quite a few letters published in various magazines. My most recent is Spirit and Destiny magazine which I will receive £25 for my trouble. It took me fifteen minutes to write and email and so was thrilled to see it published in the lastest edition. <br />
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It's not always about the money though. Of course it's nice to get cash but it's exciting and interesting to receive gifts for publication too. I had a letter published in Horse magazine recently and was thrilled to receive a voucher for horse feed which will come in very handy for my two ponies!<br />
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I'ts good to widen your options and write for as many magazines but if they give prizes instead of cash, the gift you receive may not always be relevant and although you can give it away, it's great to get some sort of payment that is relevent as this one was with me. <br />
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I also had a letter or mini-story published in TAB Fate and Fortune magazine and received some fun decision dice as a prize for that which again is something I am interested in. <br />
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I would highly reccomend sending letters in to magazines, especially if it's something you are interested in.<br />
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Have a go, you never know what you may receive. <br />
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-56939352622166225272013-01-01T05:18:00.000-08:002013-01-01T05:18:14.770-08:00One sentence a day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I have set myself a new challenge for 2013. As well as writing more articles and a non-fiction book, I wanted to do something a bit different.<br />
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I was given this beautiful little diary for Christmas with just enough space to write one sentence on each day of the week. With that in mind I thought if I could do this every day for a whole year, I will actually end up with a short story of around 2000 words by next December 31st if on average my sentences are around 8 - 10 words. I love challenges like this because I have no idea where it will take me. My moods and thoughts will be different every day so it will be interesting to see what I have at the end of it.<br />
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I found this when I was doing the Nanowrimo challenge which is the other end of the scale in that you have to write 50,000 words in 30 days. My story took a complete change in the final stages and I had no idea why, it just happened.<br />
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I quite like the idea of slowly does it and this certainly won't hinder my other writing projects or give me writers cramp. <br />
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So here I go. I have no idea what to write but when I open it up onto the first day of a new year, I am determined to put an entry in and keep going for the whole year.<br />
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-52436885612642190782013-01-01T04:43:00.002-08:002013-01-01T04:43:30.553-08:00Inspirational Blog Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I would like to thank <a href="http://jlpwritersquest.blogspot.co.uk/">Julie Phillips </a>for this inspiring award. What a lovely way to start the new year. <br />
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So now to follow the tradition I will give you seven facts as to why I started to write. <br />
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1. My mother is also a writer and she had a huge old typewriter when I was a child. I wanted to learn to type so I started out by making up little stories and typing them out. <br />
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2. In my school holidays I worked through some exercises that Mom had for a journalism course. I loved the challenge of each assignment and learning new techniques.<br />
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3. When I was 14, I was lucky to buy my beautiful horse Chad who is still with me today. He inspired me to write about horses. I passed my stable management course and loved jotting down factual things and stories about horses. My first publication was in Horse and Pony magazine. I had a letter published and this encouraged me to write more. <br />
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4. I also had a fascination about ghosts. I loved writing ghost stories and completed a small handwritten book full of my own work.<br />
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5.In the early 1980's my Mom was getting regular articles published. She was part of the very early Wrekin Writers and I got very interested in what she was doing.<br />
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6. In 1999 I joined Wrekin Writers. I entered a poem in the members only competition and I got a commended . This really inspired me and I have been a member ever since. Being part of the group has been so wonderful and I got encouragement from fellow members and bloggers. I started writing articles and short stories and was published in several magazines and then I was introduced to the world of blogging which has been a great experience in writing something on a regular basis. <br />
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7. In March 2007 my book 'One Hundred Ways For A Chicken To Train Its Human' was published by Hodder and Stoughton. I have to thank <a href="http://simonwhaleytutor.blogspot.co.uk/">Simon Whaley</a> - author of One Hundred Ways For A Dog To Train Its Human' plus many other books. He suggested that I try writing the chicken one which is what I did and I am thrilled to say it is still selling today. This gave me confidence to try other things and now I have self published my first novel on Kindle. <br />
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So there you have it. I have loved writing from an early age and been inspired in many ways by many people and many animals. <br />
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I shall now pass this award on to three more fellow bloggers who are all very different but very inspiring and entertaining. <a href="http://mermaidsdrown.blogspot.co.uk/">Mermaids drown</a>, <a href="http://ginnungagaps.blogspot.co.uk/">Much Malarky Manor</a> and <a href="http://klahanie.blogspot.co.uk/">klahanie</a>.<br />
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-67669586820635147832012-12-31T07:43:00.002-08:002012-12-31T07:43:16.296-08:00Celebrating a year of small successes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have spent most of 2012 working on my first novel 'Red Kite' and getting it ready to publish as an ebook on Kindle but during the year I have also tried to explore other markets and branch out into different things.<br />
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I was thrilled to finally get my article published in Dogs Monthly, discovered the exciting world of letter writing and fillers for magazines which I had never previously enjoyed any success for. I also had a small article published in my own parish magazine which although I was not paid for, I felt that people appreciated what I had written and that is sometimes reward enough. <br />
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I had a letter from Hodder and Stoughton in late November and was asked if I wanted my book 'One Hundred Ways For A Chicken To Train Its Human' to be re-released as an ebook. That was a lovely surprise and one that I didn't even plan for. So far that little book about chickens has sold 36,293 copies which is amazing to me. I love the fact that many people love chickens ( or of course it may be that the chickens are buying it!)<br />
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My successes are small compared to some writers but I feel very pleased that I have done something related to writing every month including the crazy <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">Nanowrimo </a>which I entered for the first time this November and managed to get the first draft of a possible sequel to Red Kite. <br />
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I hope that in 2013 I can at least double my successes. I plan to market the paper back version of Red Kite, work on a non-fiction children's book and write more articles. <br />
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I also have a very odd self imposed challenge which I will blog about on New Years Day 2013.<br />
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Thanks to all of you that have read and commented on this blog during 2012. It gives me such motivation and confidence to carry on and believing that I can call myself a writer. <br />
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Happy New Year to you all and hope you have a great 2013. <br />
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-34620137212712918442012-12-03T10:02:00.000-08:002012-12-03T10:04:19.689-08:00Third time lucky - not quite!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Never let it be said that taking the self publishing route is an easy one. After years of trying to get my book 'Red Kite' published with a proper book publisher and getting so many rejections, I decided to go down this route instead with <a href="http://www.lulu.com/">Lulu Self Publishing</a><br />
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The trouble is, unless you are confident with all the technical side of self publishing, it can be very daunting, as it has been for me. I am not too hot on the I.T side of things and despite help from many wonderful writing friends, I am still alone when I come to actually doing it. I have to click on all the right things to get my book looking like it's worth reading.<br />
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I found that producing it as an ebook was not so difficult for some reason but when I started to get the hard copy published, I was met with so many problems and that was only because I didn't read ALL the instructions given. I have learned this after receiving my third copy which is nearly there - but still not good enough. <br />
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The first copy was a crazy attempt as I just pressed every button due to the shear excitement of publishing something on the same day as I released my ebook. I loved having an actual copy of it but it was dreadful and as you can see by the photo on the left it had double titles, looked very odd, the font was tiny and it had no page numbers. <br />
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The second copy was slightly better as I managed to sort out the front and back cover. It was at this point that I found out that if you don't choose the correct size for your book it will still keep coming out with a reduced font so you get tiny words throughout your book resulting in a very thin spine. If I had bothered to read all this information from the start, maybe I would have my paperback right now to sell but I didn't. <br />
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Today I received the third copy and it's much better. The page numbers are there, the font is ok but I still need to so some tweeking with the margins. <br />
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So, maybe number four copy which is on it's way to me right now to view before releasing it maybe the one that finally gets out there for sale. <br />
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We are all different, some people are just able to read instructions first before plunging in. I admit I got caught up with the excitement of publishing my book after such a long time. I would definatley reccomend to anyone who is embarking on a future project similar to mine, if you are not that hot on I.T, read as much as you can, ask whoever you can, be patient and make sure that everything is right before you press the publish button and eventually you will get that book out there. Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-80549735368601936152012-11-18T04:57:00.000-08:002012-11-18T05:05:27.036-08:00'Red Kite' Book Launch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I finally launched my children's novel ' Red Kite' this week on Amazon Kindle. It's been a long time but I am so glad that now it's out there and doing something positive. I hope to have a hard copy soon too as I am working on the Lulu self publishing site to get it printed and ready for sale. <br />
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I started writing it ten years ago and tried desperately to get it published in the conventional way, or at least get an agent but it was so difficult. Most of the places I sent it to took around six months to reply and only wanted it in isolation, so I couldn't send it anywhere else. Then finally after months of waiting it would come back rejected. There is so much competition out there and it seems in Children's fiction, unless you are already very famous or destined to be the next J K Rowling, it will be very hard to get published in this way. <br />
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I did have many good comments though from major publishing houses which is rare as many only send a standard response, I think that is why I refused to give up as some of the comments were very encouraging.<br />
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The story is about a teenager who is trying to cope with the death of his identical twin brother, it shows his journey through bereavement, while trying to cope with being bullied at school, his only pleasure is Birdwatching. I will not say anymore, just in case you wish to download it and read it at the very reasonable price of £0.77 pence. (Well I had to get a plug in somewhere)<br />
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It will probably never be a best seller but at least I did something with it and now I can concentrate on other projects like the sequel and I want to do some more article writing. I got fresh inspiration for writing magazine articles just this week when one of my articles was published in the December issue of Dogs Monthly. <br />
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So, it may have taken ten years but at last 'Red Kite' has flown the nest and I can move on to other things. Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-70645846881684682752012-11-01T08:38:00.000-07:002012-11-01T08:38:31.019-07:00A speedy sequel with NaNoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After weeks of consideration, I finally decided to have a go at Nanowrimo this year. National Novel Writing Month ( <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">www.nanowrimo.org</a>) is certainly a great way of making you write instead of putting it off until the housework is done, the dog is walked or any other tasks that stop you from writing.</div>
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I felt terrified when I opened up a blank screen today but as soon as I started I couldn't stop. It was amazing not to worry about spelling or grammar or how it reads. I simply let it flow out of my head and onto the keyboard and computer screen. Within 30 minutes I had nearly 900 words which spurred me on further so now on day one, I am slightly ahead.</div>
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Just have to keep this up for another 29 days and I may just have a very rough draft of my next novel. I hope this will be the sequel to my novel Red Kite which I hope to publish this month on Kindle. Red Kite took my almost ten years to complete so this has to be a better option. I think if I can at least get the bare bones of the novel down I can add the flesh at a later date. Sounds a bit like a horror story but I am certainly not scared of having a go. </div>
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-5043090022898605272012-10-21T03:11:00.000-07:002012-10-21T03:11:06.992-07:00The recipe for laughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I attended a wonderful workshop yesterday which was part of the Wellington Literary Festival. My own writing group Wrekin Writers invited Dr Paul McDonald from the University of Wolverhampton to give a talk on how to write humour. As you can see by the picture above, it's a serious business. I never realised that there are so many tools that can be used to create a piece of work that is funny. Paul went through several of these to give us a real insight into how to write humour.<br />
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Re-incorporation was one of them, just like when a stand up comedian will keep returning to a particular subject, maybe they have picked on someone in the audience and each time they do it, it seems to get funnier. Exaggeration was a major one too as in comedy you can get away with a lot more than when you are writing in different genres. Some of the other terms we looked at were repetition, contrasts, incongruity, obsessions, irony and even a characters name. Some names just sound funny, it's the same with some words. 'Stinky' and 'Plop' make me smile, I don't know why, perhaps it's the child in me but that is useful as I write mainly for children so that could come in useful some day. <br />
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By using these tools it is possible to create something that will make people laugh. Several members of the group did this in just a 15 minute exercise so it shows it really is possible. None of us are comedians but within minutes we were genuinely laughing at the work that had been produced in a very short time scale. <br />
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I would really like have a go at writing a humorous novel one day. I have had a go at writing humour before with my chicken book which is is classed as gentle humour I guess but I didn't even think about trying to be funny when I was writing that as the subject itself ( my chickens) gave me all the material in just watching them so it seemed to flow quite easily. It was more about observing them and their comical personalities. I made them superior to me which is also another ingredient in writing comedy as someone always has to be the butt of the joke, in the example of my book I suppose that was me!<br />
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I certainly want to have a go in the future of writing something funny, now I have my comedy tool kit, I am ready to go forth and have a giggle. <br />
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Dr Paul McDonald </div>
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-63645677252554733882012-10-14T05:29:00.000-07:002012-10-14T05:29:04.362-07:00Meet the Author and their marketing ideas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />I spent a wonderful morning at the new Wellington Library on Saturday. It was part of the Wellington Literary Festival which is held every October and is an amazing programme of literary events to suit everyone. I was lucky enough to be invited to sell my book 'One Hundred Ways For A Chicken to Train Its Human' and promote my new novel 'Red Kite' which will be out soon. Although I didn't sell any books on this occasion, I still had a fantastic time meeting some wonderful fellow authors and having a chat to the general public who unfortunately for me were just not interested in Chickens!<br />
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I also attended with my Mom, Phyllis Blakemore, author of 'Gentlemen of the River' and as always her book went down very well. She made quite a few sales and loved chatting to people about the old days in Ironbridge where her book is set.<br />
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I met a lovey lady pictured above who really inspired me. At the young age of only 24, Carys Jones has written several books and getting great reviews for her current book 'Not All Stars Sparkle'. It was great to chat to her and we shared many similar experiences in the journey of trying to get a book published. Carys had some great promotional material that her publisher did for her and I noticed people were picking them up as I did. She also has a great website which made me start thinking when I need to market my own book. Have a look at <a href="http://carys-jones.com/">http://carys-jones.com/</a><br />
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I have shared many events with R H Stewart who also writes young adult fiction. He had a mass of young adults around his display most of the morning, something I really wish for when Red Kite is finally on sale. I loved his stand and again I think that having props and a great visual display is so important. His website is great too, see <a href="http://www.merlynbooks.co.uk/">http://www.merlynbooks.co.uk/</a> <br />
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I have to also mention Ken Ballantyne who was also present and writes Real life/Military books. Unfortunately I never got to talk to him but he had another great visual display with music too.<br />
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Although I didn't get any sales, I certainly came away a lot richer with the knowledge that I picked up while I was there. Getting out to events like this is a great opportunity to talk to other writers and see how they go about marketing their book once it's written and that is something I can bank for the future when I am promoting Red Kite. Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-76235740697082115122012-10-01T04:35:00.002-07:002012-10-01T04:35:59.049-07:00Dinolympics - first edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first copy of my non-fiction book 'Dinolympics' came today. I have done it through <a href="http://www.lulu.com/">Lulu Publishing</a> and I am very happy with the quality and price. This one is just the test copy but it's a thrilling experience to see it in a real book form after so long. I need to re-arrange the illustrations as on the first run I have them all at the back, rather than with the text. <br />
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This has been a great learning project too as in the next few weeks I will be publishing my novel 'Red Kite' with Lulu as well so hopefully when it comes to loading my novel on, I may know what I am doing.<br />
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I started this little book in October 2010 with the hope that I may find a publisher. I wanted to tie it in with the London 2012 Olympics and hoped that someone may take an interest but it still got rejected on the grounds that they already had enough olympic related material. I never guessed that I should have planned even earlier than two years ahead but I do now.<br />
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I had spent so long working on it I had to do something positive. I set about trying to illustrate it myself.<br />
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They are only simple sketches but at least I can say I did something with it and I have learnt so much as a result.<br />
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I didn't put it for sale as I truly believe it's not really good enough to charge money for but it has been great fun to produce it. I have spent so many lovely hours researching and sketching my sporting dinosaurs so I will never see it as a waste of time.<br />
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Below is one of my sketches, the tiny Compsognathus, one of my favourite dinosaurs, not much bigger than a chicken but very fast and agile.<br />
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I think the biggest thing I will take from this is planning well ahead, maybe I should send it out again now ready for the 2016 Olympics in Rio! <br />
Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-10845458134401865282012-08-13T09:12:00.000-07:002012-08-13T09:12:10.363-07:00I'm seeing red<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />I have been totally engrossed with the Olympics over the last two weeks and still have the excitement of the Paralympics to come. I have loved every single moment of it from the opening ceremony to the grand finale where our wonderful Olympians from all over the world had their moment. Although I have neglected my writing quite a lot due to being glued to the television to watch every event I could. <br />
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There have been so many successes but I did feel that the media have been a little obsessed with gaining gold medals, sometimes overlooking our wonderful people still winning silver and bronze. I think that even those who did not win anything still deserve some recognition. The fact that they had made it to the Olympics is an amazing achievement.<br />
<br />It really struck me though that these talented people only have one chance every four years to win an Olympic medal. They have other competitions in the meantime of course but it must be such a mental struggle for them to think that the next time they can try for that treasured Gold will not be for another four years!<br /><br />A Writer has much more luck on their side. Every day for 365 days of the year, we have the chance to achieve our writing dreams. Every day we can write and we can send work off in the hope that we get something published. I feel very lucky that I have never had to wait four years before I get a publication or to try again if I am rejected. Although I do have an article that is pending a definite publication from over a year ago!<br /><br />I loved the closing ceremony for the 2012 Olympics and thought last night that I may feel a little deflated now it's over. I joined in the party with the whole country, probably had too much wine and thought I would feel terrible but instead I woke and felt so inspired with the fact that I have so many chances to get my dreams and goals underway every day of the year.<br /><br />I have been working on my novel Red Kite and thanks to <a href="http://www.sukiwhite.moonfruit.com/">Suki White</a> - Artist who painted the beautiful cover for my book and Richard Varley - Graphic Artist who designed the wording, I nearly have my dream. It is a little more simple and not so grand as an Olympic medal and it's not gold - it's Red. <br />
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Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4260842129915604554.post-21807549760198975402012-07-16T09:04:00.000-07:002012-07-16T09:05:20.272-07:00Fate and writing opportunities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just got back from an unexpected break to the lovely seaside town of Barmouth in Wales. I say unexpected as I was meant to go on Saturday but we had horrendous flooding in Shropshire which initially prevented the trip. However, after several more incidents with our cars which were eventually resolved, I still did not want to miss out on the opportunity. Later in the day I rang the hotel who were prepared to switch the booking to the following day when the floods had subsided and the roads were open again.<br />
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It was incredible as from the moment we parked up in Barmouth, we saw this wonderful display of kites and balloons on the beach. It was amazing and the child in me could not be dragged away for some time. <br />
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The wonderful thing was that in that short space of time I was so inspired by what I had seen, I had to run to the car and start writing ideas down straight away. <br />
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It was a very short break away but I came back with an idea for a book and several ideas for magazine articles.<br />
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Sometimes, I believe that fate does come into our writing opportunities. These balloons disappeared very soon after I had seen them as the weather started to turn and people were going home. If I hadn't got there when I did, I would never of seen them. <br />
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It really is about grabbing every opportunity that comes along. Whether it's planned or unexpected, fate can play a part in what we see and how it inspires us to get writing. <br />
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<br />Diane Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06659265615593465267noreply@blogger.com1