Friday 28 September 2012

I love deadlines.

“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.”
― Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

Sorry I know it has been awhile. I appear to have done nothing in the month of September. Well not nothing exactly - I took a train around Italy from Bologna to Sorrento and had an absolutely amazing time. Nothing very Literary to report about. I noted the Keats -Shelley Museum in Rome but did not go in and I ate and drank far too much. By the pool in Sorrento I read The Villa in Italy by Elizabeth Edmondson. It was a nice change after all those psychological thrillers I have been reading - a gentle holiday read and very apt as I was in Italy. H also bought me the most fabulous leather bound book for me to keep a proper log about Detective Chupplejeep and all the other characters in this series. I love it to bits - I love stationary is that geeky? or is it because I love writing? Whilst in Italy I did write a plot for the next novel in the Chupplejeep series - It has a working Title of The Body in the Bath - I wrote it on some hotel paper - so I hope I can find it amongst my stuff. I was also debating on the spelling of Chupplejeep - LE or EL - I mean its supposed to be pronounced as Chappal - Jeep. H gave me some good advice (for a change) and said it was my character and therefore I could spell it like I wanted - so I choose Chupplejeep!

So basically right now I am STILL editing The Bittersweet - up to chapter 47 and its a difficult one- its the unravelling bit of the story so I have to get it right. There is quite a bit of internal monologue in this chapter as well so it is taking some time. I still have 8 chapters (inc the epilogue) to edit - what a pain - but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Also no more rejection from agents but no more requests to see my manuscript either- we'll just have to wait and see. A friend from writing has given me his comments on how I can increase the intensity of the first couple of chapters so I need to go over this and send out some more submissions. I am now planning to send all submissions out so by next summer I will be in a position to self publish ... we'll see.

Also any ideas on how to increase site visitors to my website? I know I need to link it and cross reference it. I have been a bit lame on that front. I am getting about 250 odd hits a month- I don't know if that's good or bad. I get more Blog hits. But sales for Goa Traffic are increasing so maybe its working - I don't know.

Also watch this space - I am hoping by the end of October to sign up for an on line grammar course.

Anyway back to writing!