Revising

… and competition

I’ve been looking at Book 1 again with a view to getting a new agent and submitting to publishers in the US. I contacted Inkwell Writers in Dublin and the lovely Vanessa expertly critiqued the first 3,000 words for me. All the points she raised will improve the text and the impact of the first chapters.

It was nice to get a view from someone who also writes and knows what they’re talking about so I’ll be applying her comments to the remainder of the text and putting Book 2 on hold for the moment. They also have a new website under construction with writer resources (probably launching this week) so check that out.

3000 words (+ Synopsis) is the required length for the CWA Debut Dagger award, for which the closing date is the 5th February 2011. While the prize money of £700 is minimal, the exposure to agents and publishers is invaluable with previous winners regularly being published.

Belinda Bauer's opening chapters of her novel  Blacklands was highly commended in 2008 and was published this year as well as being selected for the Channel 4 TV Book Club . It went on to win the CWA Gold Dagger. So if you’re tinkering with your first crime novel i think it’s worth a punt to enter.

If nothing else It’ll give me some focus for revising the start of my tale anyway.

in the meantime I hope you all have a happy Christmas and bestselling new year

See you in 2011.

TF.80

Current Reading:     The thing is... – Dave Fanning
                               Written in Blood -Chris Collett

Current Listening:     Darkness on the Edge of town – Bruce Springsteen
                               Rufus Wainwright – All the Days are nights (song for lulu)
                               ABC to XTC - Author John Connolly's Radio Show