Fran Macilvey

About Fran Macilvey

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June 14, 2018

Publishing my third book

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Publishing my third book

I am what is known in the trade, apparently, as a hybrid author. That is to say, I have a book published with a mainstream publisher, and I am also published independently. (It’s interesting what you learn when talking to other publishers at book fairs.)

My third book, Making Miracles is set for publication this month, June 2018. I am so looking forward to having it finished; and excited that a project that has taken about a decade to materialise is finally happening: I finally decided that I might as well get on with it, and publish this summer. Being an independent publisher means we have to get used to setting our own deadlines.

Previously, I have written a series of blog posts, called rather optimistically, How to get published,which focussed almost entirely on the rigours of finding a publishing deal with a mainstream publisher. At that time (2016) I wrote very little about publishing independently, because I still had too much to learn to offer anything worthwhile in the way of suggestions or opinions. Though I have since learned a great deal from publishing independently and am – retrospectively – grateful for the steep learning curves and cul-de-sacs, there is never an end to what we can learn about indie publishing. Grasping the basics has been immensely worthwhile.

In the next series of blog posts, I will be considering some of what I have learned about publishing independently: it’s advantages, pitfalls, and some of the more intricate necessities that are apt to be overlooked in the rush to get published.

Thank you so much for reading.

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June 12, 2018

Living near my mother

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Living near my mother

For most of her life – probably since the age of three, when she first got left behind and had to avoid falling off a cliff and find her own way home – my mother has done, and fixed and sorted most of everything in her life for herself. Whatever she could not manage – rooofers, plumbers, electricians – she paid for. Even a supremely competent Queen’s guide needs some help, sometimes.

She is, in so many ways, a hard act to follow. But, since she moved into her own flat round the corner from us, after 20 years living more or less alone in rural France, I have found it a boon and a blessing, firstly, to spend time with her and secondly, to be useful to her in ways that previously, were not needed. I enjoy her company, and laugh a lot where previously – possibly because of an inferiority complex that neither my mother or I could help – I might have growled or brooded or stomped. No-where is my own personal progress more obvious to me than in this. I feel content, and I love to be useful in small ways, as I notice how my mother adapts to life at a slower, more meditative pace.

I have been incredibly busy of late, and have learned a lot about life, council tax, telephone bills and utilities providers. But none of that has affected my work rate, which, instead of sinking under the weight of new responsibilities, has actually acquired a new speed and focus that I relish. Because I no longer have time for extraneous ‘stuff’, I have to prioritise, which means I do what I enjoy, quickly, and with a great deal more decision than formerly.

All of which I see as more good news.

Thanks so much for reading.

 

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June 9, 2018

Writing Book Six

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Writing Book Six

My sixth book, which happens to be the third in my Lisa Somerville trio of novels about a lawyer and her clients – of which I have had the first chapter written for a couple of years, now – is becoming, as I think about it, less of a future prospect and more of a current reality. I will be writing it soon.

The thought of changing gear and starting on my third book of fiction brings mixed feelings: excitement, the thrill of what I might discover, together with the realisation that increasingly, my books are tangible reality. With my sixth book underway, I can increasingly see the end, as well as the beginning of my bookish endeavours: two books published and a third (Making Miracles) expected in June 2018, as well as two books in the Lisa Somerville series nearing completion. Who knows how much more I will write?

So far as I can tell at the moment, Lisa Somerville is complete and as clean as I can make it, though the prospect of massive re-writes is always a possibility; The Seduction of Susan Scott has about sixty thousand words under its belt, and is shaping up; and so, I have little excuse to prevaricate with book three.

Pip is the story of a wife with an abusive husband, who decides one afternoon to leave home so that she can protect her infant son. She is not really thinking about herself, but has decided that her son deserves better. Initially I had thought that she would disappear into the sunset with just her handbag and her coat on, clutching little Pip by the hand; but something urges me to turn Fiona homeward, at least in the first instance. As a wife, she feels that she should really give her husband another chance; in any case, she is unprepared for her exodus, needs to pack a suitcase and make plans. But her decision to give her husband another benefit of the doubt has tragic consequences.

Many works of fiction feature one partner in a relationship escaping, fleeing, starting again. Escape and rebirth is one of our urban fantasies writ large… What if I could get away from all this…? But Fiona returns to the house and finds her husband back home early; and in what happens next is the tragedy of so many people who try too hard to be true to others, and forget to be true to themselves.

Thanks so much for reading.

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June 7, 2018

Writers block reconsidered

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Writers block reconsidered

I’m going to assume, for the purposes of this post, that writer’s block exists, and that there are those of us writers who simply find it impossible – or have found it impossible – to write.

For anyone for whom the soothing routines of writing seem like a distant dream, I can offer a few ideas that might help to remove writer’s block.

~ If we are tired, let us rest, without judgement about our failure today, to write our usual four thousand words. “But I always manage three thousand words a day,” is a most unhelpful stick to beat ourselves up with. It’s never about the word count. One good sentence, or paragraph fix is worth more than all our good intentions, or angst over our failed targets.

~ I sense that somewhere in among the complex reasons why we writers get blocked, is the notion that we should be writing, because we always do, or because someone or other expects us to. Maybe we are bored, isolated, in need of a change and fresh air. Nothing wrong with that. So let’s take time off when we need it, to smell the coffee and meet other people. If that feels wrong, call it research.

~ I call the purely creative stage of writing, Stage One; and I suspect that writer’s block is our reaction to judgement and expectations about our writing at the wrong time. We reflect and judge Stage One writing, when all we are doing, at that stage, is tipping our words – any words! – onto the page. Writer’s block surfaces when we start editing or censoring our creative outpourings, instead of simply allowing them release. Of course there will be all kinds of things to change, to modify; but at Stage One, writing simply has to flow and leap and dance, a process in which our intellects have little place, and cannot comment on. Compare and contrast, reflect and refine all come later.

~ Worse still, writer’s block – the refusal to co-operate with what we think we expect – surfaces when we write for the critics, those in our heads, and those pestering us with phone-calls and deadlines. We write what other people want us to write, instead of accepting that our styles change, our preferences evolve, as with any living, creative aspect of ourselves.

~ It seems unfair to blame an inability to write on our career as a writer. Our inability to summon a single sentence or paragraph may have nothing whatever to do with our writing ability, and may be due to outside factor(s) such as worry about money, caring for a suddenly sick friend or relative, being tired all the time, needing to eat more fruit and veg. So, instead of saying, “I have writer’s block at the moment, it’s simply awful,” consider that there are many factors that go into a blank page, and resist the urge to condemn oneself for apparent weakness. Instead, focus on feeling better and do what it takes to bring the joy back into life; joy which, in whatever form, is what spews on the page when we are in Stage One writing.

Thanks for reading.

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June 5, 2018

Writing versus editing

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Writing versus Editing

Is writing more important, or is editing the crux of the matter?

Clearly, editing is writing, but, semantics aside, I’m wondering whether the creative aspects of producing a longer work of fiction are more important than the nuts and bolts of getting the syntax and grammar correct?

These two aspects of writing seem to me to be equally important. There is little point having creative flights of fancy if the editor’s imperative is forced to lie idle – a work of 200,000 words is probably going to need pruning; and, as many authors have reminded us, we have to have the courage to edit even those passages that we delight in, if they have no place in keeping the story alive.

Being at the editing stage, I suspect that judicious read-throughs are vital to what becomes a finished article. And, what is more, editing allows us to look beyond a mere word count and bring to light new angles that might otherwise be lost under the weight of our creative obscurantism. Judicious editing is creativity’s best friend. Bosom buddy, indispensable side-kick, major domo, maitre d’. Without editing, even my most brilliant moments would be languishing…

So that’s that, then. Sorted… except that, without the creative impulse, no-one would be mad enough to spend years of their life writing something longer than a shopping list without some hope of validation, would they??

Which brings the matter full circle.

 

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June 2, 2018

How I write

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How I write

I’m interested to see how my writing techniques and beliefs have evolved. I anguish less over blog posts, enjoy experimenting with different ways of recording and researching information, and I enjoy, far more than I used to, the pressure of the everyday, which seems to galvanise me, catapulting me, where previously, with whole long days at my disposal, writing tended to be – but was not always – a bit hit and miss.

Here are my current best tips for writing consistently and enjoyably.

~ Having a lot of other things to do does not mean we can’t write. It can simply mean that we refuse to be beaten. If I have a deadline, say, and suddenly a million things come to get in the way of reaching that, I simply have to evolve new ways of working: Getting up earlier in the morning, turning off the phone, deciding that I deserve to take my work more seriously. That I don’t get paid much or often has nothing to do with my sense of discipline or purpose. Perhaps taking writing more seriously, I can begin to envision being paid seriously too.

~ I used to believe that the artistic, writing muse did not relish being summoned regularly every day. As a result, my work was not often timetabled, and my writing time was subject to the whims and changes of anything that got in the way (which was more or less everything). Now, I’m happy to say, I see that having a regular writing habit – or at least an attitude that values work time and refuses to compromise it for anything – allows my writing muse to come out and play regularly too. As those who know me will know, I tend to the view that I am not the instigator, more the facilitator of my writing. Knowing I shall usually be available between 2.30 and 5.30 every weekday afternoon, my writing muse appears more consistently and easily, with a relaxed vibe, rather than one which suspects that my current visit to the writing shore will be brief and likely to be cut off at a moment’s notice; an attitude which rarely results in the best work…

~ I set a work time, a regular work time in my diary. I respect that division, and treat it as I would any other office commitment. As hubby reminded me, those of us who work for ourselves have no-one to help us set our priorities or to say, “I need this from you by the end of the week.” So it’s up to us to set the rules, and to say, when someone asks us to come to the garden centre on an inconvenient workday afternoon – “No, sorry, I’d love to, but I’m busy at that time.”

No doubt my ideas will continue evolving, but these ideas are helping me at the moment.

Thanks for reading.

***

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May 31, 2018

The creative imperatives of writing

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The creative imperatives of writing

 

What matters, when we are writing? What aspects can an author not do without?

A handful of good ideas is a great start, but there is also the requirement to edit, endlessly read and work through a text, ironing out inconsistencies, tangles and plot holes. But apart from the obvious – and often very trying – aspects of working with words, what other less obvious parts of the craft are necessary?

These are my latest discoveries, always subject to change.

~ the ability to envision ourselves writing regularly for the rest of our lives. Typically, I shun the regularity of a three-hour-a-day habit; or even worse, a five-thousand-word-a-day requirement as  ‘shackling my creative flow’. However, I have recently come to appreciate that a regular writing habit offers our characters room to evolve and expand – revealing more of their character traits, their ideas, even their conversational quirks – over time. Since with a regular habit, we take our writing seriously for at least part of every work day – say, Monday to Friday – our work has room and time to expand fully. Given a regular commitment of time and engagement, our writing becomes deeper and more rewarding.

~ the confidence to take writing seriously, so that, even when we are very busy, our writing purpose is honoured for at least some time every day. It might be writing blog posts, or editing a single paragraph of text – or even deciding, after hours of tinkering, that the paragraph in question will have to go – but that kind of self-belief grows wings, and can weather any storm of external busyness.

~ The confidence to finish what we started. No piece of writing, no matter how good, will see the light of day if it remains unfinished. To push past the curse of the soggy middle, to ignore the word-count and push to the finish, no matter how ragged it may be, is, I would say, the single most important part of writing anything – apart from starting, that is. (And actually, finishing is a great deal harder than starting, but don’t tell…)

Speaking as an author who seems to get busier every day, the greatest creative spur I have yet found is the refusal to be beaten; with which the above strategies help me, every day.

Thanks for reading this.

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May 29, 2018

The value of my time

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The value of my time

What is the value of my time? If I was working in retail, I might perhaps earn £8.50 an hour, though it’s quite a while since I did, so I may have my rates wrong. If I were a typist in an office, a bit more, if I were a junior partner in a legal firm, a bit more still. As an author? Pause for embarrassed silence.

But why? We spend years investing in our books, to say nothing of the cost of producing a product which has all its dots and commas in the right place. That time is valuable, and – as I think I many have mentioned – is not coming back to us.

We can’t really value our worth by the accumulation of our possessions, so what is left to us is the space and hope we call time. Our most precious asset. So, when someone asks me to help with a project, it is worth pausing to check, “How long is this going to take me? Will I enjoy it? Do I get any pleasure out of doing this, any pleasure for its own sake?”

If the answer is no – and I have no perceived choice – just get that ask done quickly and then whizz off out of there asap; and if the answer is no, not one whit, of course not, then I’d be better to find some polite way of saying so and getting back to what I prefer doing.

But conversely, just because we love writing, does that mean we should not expect to get paid for it? Or receive the cover price for a book we have authored – from which we will have deduct the outlays – or to get recognition for the time and effort of carting books around, laying them out so carefully so they don’t get spoiled, signing them and offering them for sale?

In an ideal world, we would all be supported for being creative, but until that time comes, it’s worth pausing to ask ourselves how much we value our time, and whether, if push comes to shove, we are comfortable advocating for ourselves, so that we value what we do. After all, if we can get back some of the value of what we do, that will enable us to keep doing what we value.

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May 26, 2018

What matters in the busy times

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What matters in the busy times

 

 

In working out, finally, what matters in the busy times, I have discovered the delights of delegation.

In small ways – so, instead of going to the post-box with a misdirected letter to have it mailed to the right address, it’s incredibly liberating to hand it back to the postman – and in bigger ones – this is a massive job; instead of trying to do it all myself, I shall employ someone else to do it – I find myself freed from so many jobs I used to assume responsibility for, without once asking, “Do I have to do this?”

By delegating, I have more time and mental energy to do what I must do for myself; or, as my brother used to say, “There’s only one thing that other people can’t do for you – write your books.” So, increasingly, the everyday stuff I get through has this end in view: to leave me with energy enough, so that when I sit down to write, I can invest the time properly, write well, and leave what is after all my chosen field of endeavour, feeling satisfied.

If you need a few tips to help you get to what you enjoy, here are my latest recommendations:-

~Delegate as much as you can. Ask your partner to cook tea, get in the washing off the line, take out the bucket, answer the phone.

~If it comes to it, stop answering the phone for a while.

~Value your time, and remember you ain’t going to get it back any time soon. Therefore, spend it wisely doing what you enjoy.

~Learn to say no. Kindly, gently and firmly.

~Keep your feet moving to where you aim to get. Go for a swim, don’t talk to lots of people on the way out – unless that is your idea of heaven; keep your feet moving so that you arrive home earlier than you expected – how novel that is, and so empowering!

~Congratulate yourself on any job well done. Any difficult job is bound to take away precious time. But if you have to do it, just get it done and then move on to the next thing. Well done!

~Stop thinking and start floating through all the stuff that pulls you down.

***

 

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May 24, 2018

Time and Tide wait for no one

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Time and Tide wait for no one

I am so busy these days that occasionally, I can’t think straight, move or plan ahead.

So it comes as a pleasant surprise to gradually realise, that being immensely busy is a great spur to my writing. No more excuses, I think, I must prioritise this work of mine, or I shall find endless excuses not to keep up with it. Time and tide wait for no one, man, woman or beast.

And with that realisation comes a fresh determination, a refusal to be beaten that harks back to the earliest days of my youth, recalling that stubborn intransigence which so often counted against me, but which, now, I am grateful for occasionally, to keep me to my business plans and to remember to respect them. My time is really my greatest asset, and I know I shall be unhappy if I let my ideas get away from me, or go back to compromising all the time.

And in the end, compromising fails, because we are not being true to ourselves. As hubby has always said – and in such a way as as I now can totally understand – compromising pleases no-one. A refusal to be beaten is a great motivator, a great spur to strip away everything that does not matter as much as I used to think it did, or to delegate anything that other people can do just as well.

Is it easier, in the end, to allow oneself to be overwhelmed and simply let go of our dreams? Or does it save a lot of heart-ache and regret, to forge ahead with our own plans, and leave aside worrying about the other busyness of life for another time, another place, another person?

The obligations we hold ourselves to, are constantly updating anyway, like computer programmes and all works in progress. Which is a wonderful way of accepting that we too, can set ourselves free any time we wish, to live authentically, free of the fear that by doing what we most choose to do, we are letting other people down. Those who love us will cope, and those who don’t – do they matter so much?

Thanks for reading.

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