the writer is a lonely hunter

writing by Gail Aldwin and other authors

Aug 14

What’s happening? It’s pandemonium!

by gailaldwin

The children’s picture book I’ve been working on with illustrator Fiona Zechmeister is doing its final round. Collaboration means that the illustrations and text for Pan de mo nium circulate between us. Now, Fiona is putting the finishing touches to the illustrations and I’m pleased to share some images that demonstrates the latter stages of the redrafting process.

Pan de mo nium is a story about Peta who doesn’t look like other pandas in the toy department because of her purple coat. This provides camouflage and enables her to get up to mischief. When a shop assistant spots Peta, this puts an end to her tricks. Peta must learn more about herself… but does this stop Peta’s fun? Of course not!

Here is the title page for Pan de mo nium. This image will also feature on the cover although the final layout is not yet agreed.

Thumbnail image

F0812DEE-C83E-4AE1-8FA6-63A0F592D14F_1_201_a

The font was chosen early in the process, the word ‘pandemonium’ presented as if broken into syllables and the place of the title in the centre of the page agreed. The sketch of Peta gives an impression of movement and joy.

Coloured thumbnail

621DF9D4-CFEF-462E-A17B-99347FD6A9C8_1_201_a

Next we discussed colours. Fiona used watercolours to experiment with different shades of purple.

Read the rest of this entry »

blogs children's literature writing

2 Comments »
Jul 31

Posh frocks, presentations and prizes

by gailaldwin

Traditionally held at Stationers’ Hall, the eleventh annual awards ceremony for The People’s Book Prize was instead organised via Zoom thanks to Covid19. Finalists from the three categories were there, authors of fiction, non-fiction and children’s literature, plus all the publishers. The evening was hosted by founder Tatiana Wilson and director Tony Humphreys. At one point I found myself virtually rubbing shoulders with prize patron, Frederick Forsyth.

EE2DAC2B-898A-4CF1-8B9C-462815B8A6F1_1_201_a

We wore our finest clothes to make the occasion special. While I drank a cup of tea, others sipped wine. Like all finalists in the fiction category, I was able to say a few words about my novel and then the winner was announced. Author of The Weighing of the Heart gained the the sparkling trophy and I was very pleased to celebrate Paul Tudor Owen‘s success. I’ve been following Paul on Twitter for some time and feel I know him from the podcasts and interviews he’s offered since his novel was launched in March 2019. The Weighing of the Heart is a contemporary novel set in New York where the English protagonist Nick Braeburn becomes fascinated by his landlady’s Egyptian art and a young artist who lives nearby. Paul was very gracious in his acceptance speech and highlighted the importance of small presses in bringing to market stories that are overlooked by the big five publishers.

CB7220AF-FF9E-4800-BC8E-7265724EA347_1_201_a

Who can you spot in this photo of fiction finalists and others?

Becoming a finalist in The People’s Book Prize has been a wonderful experience. It’s raised the profile of my coming-of-age novel The String Games, provided a platform for my publisher Victorina Press and has given me the chance to connect with lots of wonderful authors. And there are many of you reading this post who I have to thank for helping me reach the finals. Without your votes, I would never have come this far. So, let me take this opportunity to thank you very much for your support.

authors blogs competitions events novel publication Reading Recommendations visits writing

7 Comments »
Jul 23

Milking an idea

by gailaldwin

I posted information last week about Covid19 writing opportunities and since then I’ve had two Coronavirus stories accepted for publication. Out of the Box is about cutlery trapped in a canteen during lockdown and it was shortlisted in the Staying Home competition run by Hammond House Publishing. You can read the story here.

safe_image.php-4

Once I get an idea for a story, I figure it’s worth milking, so I wrote another Covid19 lockdown story this time related to the experience of a wedding ring confined to a jewellery box. This was published by Pandemic Magazine and you can read the story here. There’s a great illustration to accompany my story, so it’s worth popping over for a look.

Read the rest of this entry »

blogs flash fiction publication Reading Recommendations short stories writing

2 Comments »
Jul 17

Pandemic writing opportunities

by gailaldwin

Coronavirus has inspired even more people to write fiction. This is a good  thing because stuck at home or venturing out, anyone can take a leap into the world of their imagination. I have long argued that as humans we all need a creative outlet, be it gardening or cooking or painting. Writing is one of the most accessible forms of creativity because the resources required are no more than a piece of paper and a pen. And, with only the hand moving across the page, it’s not physically demanding either (although some of us do complain about writer’s bottom!)

In Dorset, our local history centre started a project in early April requesting people keep diaries of their experiences during the pandemic. The aim is to ensure that future generations can look back on the present day’s experience and understand the impact of Coronavirus across the county.  I look forward to reading the Corona Diaries when they are published.

Read the rest of this entry »

blogs Dorset events flash fiction publication Recommendations short stories views writing

Leave a comment »
May 29

Happy Birthday to you

by gailaldwin

My debut novel The String Games is one year old today. It’s been quite a journey from launch to anniversary and here are some of the things I have learnt along the way.

Book launches

fullsizeoutput_1dec

  • invite everyone you know and turn the launch into a party to thank all those who have shown interest in your writing . Make sure there’s plenty of wine and nibbles, and loads of books to sell!

Make the most of opportunities 

  • when I attended a Christmas lunch 2018 with the Society of Authors in Salisbury, I had no idea it would lead to an invitation to deliver a session at the Bridport Literary Festival 2019. Chance meetings are often the best!

Put yourself out there

Book is Judged by Cover-1

  • Press releases have enabled The String Games to feature locally, regionally and nationally in print publications and online features. I’ve also talked on local radio programmes several times. There’s nothing wrong with getting about!

Literary festivals

  • I’ve attended so many festivals as a participant but now I’m a published novelist it’s a delight to feature on programmes as an invited guest. Besides the Bridport Literary Festival, I’ve also delivered input at Sturminster Newton Literary Festival, Blandford Literary Festival and Stockholm Writers Festival. Get me, delivering at international events!

Finge Festivals

  • I write collaboratively as part of 3-She to develop comedy sketches. Last summer we took a show to  Shaftesbury Fringe. There’s such a lot to be learnt from the process of writing with others. Love a good gig!

Curry favour with your publisher

  • I’m delighted that Victorina Press have show confidence and commitment in me as an author and thanks to my publisher, I attended the London Book Fair 2019. My novel is also a finalist in The People’s Book Prize. Covid 19 permitting, there’s a black tie do to celebrate this achievement later this year!
  • The team at Wordsmith_HQ continue to promote my poetry pamphlet adversaries/comrades and share my writing successes across their writing community. Good eggs all round!

Read the rest of this entry »

blogs competitions events Feedback novel poetry publication Reading review visits writing

5 Comments »
May 17

Vote! Vote! Vote!

by gailaldwin

Regular followers of this blog must be very aware that The String Games is a finalist in The People’s Book Prize. I’ve written several posts about this competition and have encouraged you to vote for my debut. Thanks to you, The String Games is now a finalist in the fiction category 2020 but in order to become a winner, I need you to vote again.

unnamed-15.23.15-4

Why is this competition important?

For a debut novelist published by a small press, The People’s Book Prize offers an opportunity for The String Games to reach a wider audience. The theme of this coming-of-age novel is about resilience: how it’s possible to overcome barriers in life and embrace fresh starts and new beginnings. The novel shares important messages and that’s why I’m so keen for The String Games to do well.

By entering The String Games into The People’s Book Prize, Victorina Press have shown their commitment and confidence in my work. When a small press receives the accolade of publishing a winning novel in a national competition, this provides a platform to showcase other important books such as One Woman’s Struggle in Iran by Nasrin Parvaz.

For a healthy publishing ecosystem, it’s important that small presses do well and have their place in the sun. Without small presses, there would be less diversity in publishing and less choice of books for readers.

Why vote for The String Games in The People’s Book Prize?

The People’s Book Prize is a unique literary competition which aims to find, support and promote new and undiscovered works. Winners are decided exclusively by the public. Watch this video produced by The People’s Book Prize for more information.

 

Voting is easy. Just pop across the The People’s Book Prize and give The String Games your support. The competition closes on 30 May 2020.

Thank you!

 

blogs competitions events writing

2 Comments »
Jul 29

Round up​ of the summer so far …

by gailaldwin

As I am a ridiculously target driven writer, I thought I’d share with you some of the writing milestones from June and July 2019.

Sturminster Newton Literary Festival, 15 June

IMG_3366 2

In this the inaugural year of the festival, I was delighted to have a place on the author trail which involved running a stall in Joshua’s Coffee Shop so that I could chat to customers about my publications. I felt honoured to be part of the trail as Gillian Cross one of my favourite children’s authors had a stall elsewhere in the town. (The only problem was I didn’t get a chance to say hello to her!)

Later in the afternoon, I offered a workshop titled ‘a sense of place in writing’ at the library. I was delighted to work with many talented writers and receive feedback from the workshop in the form of this tweet:

fullsizeoutput_205a

London Launch of The String Games, 22 June 

This took place at Housmans Radical Bookshop and I was so pleased to welcome friends, family, fellow Victorina Press authors and readers to this unique venue. I was delighted that every copy of The String Games sold.

fullsizeoutput_1f45

The People’s Book Prize, June 2019

unnamed-15.23.15-4

BIG NEWS for the summer. The String Games has been longlisted in this unique literary competition where the public decides the nation’s next bestsellers and writers of tomorrow. Find out here about The String Games and cast your vote to enable me to reach the next stage. All you have to do is scroll down to add your details, tick a box about receiving the newsletter and submit. Thank you to all those who have already voted.

Scratch & Spit, Lyric Theatre, Bridport, 24 June

Here I am strutting my stuff during a ten-minute performance slot. What am I going on about? The analogy between writing and running!

fullsizeoutput_1f68

Loughborough Poetry Event, 28 June

Alongside Rachel Lewis (who also had a poetry pamphlet published by Wordsmith_HQ), I was billed as a headline act at the launch of the Purple Breakfast Review Issue 8. It was great to spend an evening with so many accomplished poets and to read from adversaries/comrades.

FINAL COVER gail aldwin

Shaftesbury Fringe, Saturday 6 July

As part of 3-She, I co-write comedy sketches with Maria Pruden and Sarah Scally. This summer we took a group of gifted West Dorset actors to the Shaftesbury Fringe to perform our comedy sketch show Big Heads & Others. What a lot of fun we had! The next show will be staged at Dorchester Arts Centre at 8pm on 18 September 2019.

fullsizeoutput_1fd5

Meet the Author talk, Dorchester Library, Saturday 20 July

I had a fabulous audience for this 90-minute talk about the inspiration behind my poetry, short fiction and The String Games. They asked probing questions and we enjoyed a lively discussion. I’ve now been asked to offer further talks at Dorset libraries, so watch this space!

Gail Aldwin Poster

Friday Freebie with Patsy Collins, Friday 26 July

This is an online event where I share information about my debut novel and there’s a chance to win a free signed copy of The String Games by leaving a comment on Patsy’s blog – you’ve got until midnight BST on 31 July to do this. Why not pop over for a read? Just click here.

fullsizeoutput_205f

What’s next?

This week I received an email from my publisher Victorina Press who want me to start working with illustrator Fiona Zechmeister on the children’s picture book I’ve drafted which has the working title Peta the Panda. This is an exciting new project and I can’t wait to get started!

 

 

 

 

authors blogs Dorset events Feedback interview Libraries novel poetry publication Reading Recommendations visits workshops writing

1 Comment »
Jul 9

The String Games needs your vote

by gailaldwin
bookmark_TSG

I was delighted to hear that The String Games has been longlisted in The People’s Book Prize fiction category. This is a national award that finds and promotes new and undiscovered work. One of the organisation’s aims is to support the complete eradication of illiteracy. This is something very important to me as, following years of working with parents and children to build their literacy skills, there is still a need in communities for further work. In this longlisting, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect match: an opportunity to gain a wider readership for The String Games and connect with a cause close to my heart.

To reach the next stage of the competition depends on public support. I hope you feel able to support me by voting for The String Games to become a finalist in the fiction category. It’s easy to vote, just click here to leave your details, tick yes or no to receive the newsletter then submit.  If you’d like to leave a comment that would be a bonus. The opening chapter of The String Games is available to read here.  
Thank you for your help. The String Games has important messages to share about how it’s possible to come to terms with challenges in life. It’s a story about fresh starts and new beginnings which readers find empowering.

blogs competitions events novel publication Reading Recommendations writing

4 Comments »
Jun 11

Getting over the line

by gailaldwin

mock03

Can you help The String Games reach the next round of the All Author‘s June cover competition? If you agree with me that the cover by Fiona Zechmeister is gorgeous, do pop over to the competition page and give The String Games your vote. Just two clicks and it’s done! Start here:

https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/4799/

Then click on ‘vote’

The competition is open until 7pm (BST) on Friday 14 June 2019.

Thank you for your support.

 

authors blogs competitions novel writing

1 Comment »
May 28

The String Games is released today!

by gailaldwin

mock03

The journey to the release of my debut novel The String Games has included many pitfalls and high points. Today, I celebrate the support I have received along the way.

Thank you to my fellow students at the University of South Wales who offered support and advice through workshop sessions. Also to my supervisors who gave feedback and guidance which enabled me to submit The String Games alongside an academic thesis to receive the award of PhD.

IMG_2662

I’m grateful to Carol McGrath, Sue Stephenson and Denise Barnes for the wonderful feedback during memorable writing retreats in Port Isaac and other locations overseas.

IMG_3118

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorset is a wonderful place to live and write. I’ve gained so much from supportive groups including Wimborne Writing led by Sarah Barr, the Vivo Gang, the RNA Dorset chapter and the Dorset Writers Network. Also thank you to the organisers of open mic nights including Apothecary.

For giving The String Games a good home, I’d like to thank all the lovely people who work for Victorina Press and also my fellow Victorina authors who celebrate diversity in publishing.

fullsizeoutput_1cb7

A special mention for the authors who endorsed my novel Jacquelyn Mitchard, Nina Kilham, Elizabeth Reeder, and Sara Gethin.

Where would any author be without readers? The continued support of the Cerne Abbas Readers is much appreciated along with the amazing work of many wonderful book bloggers including Anne Williams and Jessie Cahalin.

I’ve loved being part of online communities including the Women Writers Network and thank everyone there.

I’ve grown in confidence and experience due to publication of my earlier work. Thanks to  Gill James at Chapeltown Books for publishing Paisley Shirt a collection of short fiction, and to Sophie-Louise Hyde at Wordsmith_HQ for publishing adversaries/comrades a poetry pamphlet.

IMG_8635

Lastly I must thank my supportive family who understand my need to write when I could be spending time with them.

IMG_0132

The String Games is released today and can be purchased online from Foyles, Waterstones and Victorina Press.

authors blogs Dorset events novel poetry publication short stories writing

12 Comments »
«Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Website Built with WordPress.com.