Sarah’s Writing Blog

This is a steep learning curve. Although technically, as a self published author, I am free to produce my work in whatever format I want, there are certain conventions that are worth following to help make the whole thing look more professional!

So far I have;
* Indent on every paragraph apart from the first in each section/chapter – which should be fully left aligned with no indent – Exception to this is where an Illuminated/Overlarge initial letter is used. I don’t like that and find it hard to read, so I don’t use it.
* Font should be a standard and easily read one – most prefer Times new roman and I use that even though I don’t like it, I prefer Arial, but most books are in Times New…
* Page numbers should start at 1 on the first page of the actual text/story, not on the title page, copyright or any other page and they should stop at the final page of text/story.

Aside – I worked out how to do this in Word today. I’ll write up a how to set of instructions in a day or so, more to remind myself than anything! It involves splitting the document into sections and messing about with the footers…

* Chapters should start on a fresh page and it’s preferable to leave a large gap so they start half way down the page. Opinion seems divided on this and does seem to depend on if there is any additional information at the start of the chapter, a chapter title or just a number.

There are other legally obligated things that need to be included too, another post and another day for that I think.

Eagerly (and impatiently) awaiting the first sales figures….

The figures from any sales made during April are due to be reported in the next 10 days or so. This is the first time I’ve not known what’s happening with book sales. Up til now I’ve had access to sales through Lulu and I’ve known when each sale has happened.

This is a bit scary, but exciting scary if that makes sense.

Considering the delay in the Portal Between coming through the retail distribution channels, I’m not expecting big numbers. This time ANY numbers will be great to see, but I’ll report back here when I know!

Hiya Indiebird,
Thanks for your comments and questions.

Why did Lily come to our world?
Who is Andrew’s father?
Who or what came back through from the other realm when lily and sam went the other way the final time?
Why did Sam get taken in the 1st place?
How did they all meet?
Is Nutters a real place and can I visit it?
how long was Sam ‘there’ for the 1st time?
What happened the 1st time she was there?
Jack is very odd….what is the significance…imho he’s not good?
Why choose Cameron and not Andrew or one of Sams kids?

Why did Lily come? Who said she did? What if she is as human as Sam and just spent some time there?
Andrew’s father? I know, and Lily knows. You might find out one day.
What came through? Maybe something, maybe just a feeling and it was nothing.
How did they meet? Sam and Kate went to school together, Lily moved there a year or so before Sam disappeared.
Is Nutters real? Not that I’m aware of, if you find it do let me know! Now there’s a business opportunity for someone.
Why did Sam get taken? Ah now that I am writing, in detail and what happened to her while she was gone.
Jack? Jack is lovely! He’s just like a number of men that I know and doesn’t cope well.
Why Cameron? Ah, I have my reasons! Lily might explain for you at some point.

I love getting email like this, makes a change from spam, soap nut orders and it makes me smile too.

Sarah – Hi – it’s fantastic!!!!! The book… I’ve just about managed to break away from it coz I just had to send this email to you. I’m a fussy bugger when it comes to books. I give’em a chapter and if I’m not hooked by then I abandon them. I was straight into your book though – had me by the first paragraph, sentence even. I love the everyday paraphanalia descriptions of the kids chaos. Identify with it or what?!! It feels like it could be me the story is happening to. It’s like I’m there on the pages. The way of being with the children, that way of caring, those values, the we-like-healthy-wholefoods-and-oh-what-the-heck-we scoff-marshmellows-on-hot-chocolate-aswell approach. Then there’s that feeling of something building up (I’m up to Ch. 5), something incredibly unbelievable, amongst the vivid descriptions of such hectic normality. Now that’s like sweet and sour sauce, which I love, or like steaming hot apple pie with the freeze of ice-cream, which is even better! Contrasts dancing about each other, creating possibilities. Stunning. Gotta get back to it. Right now. Love from Diane.

Although I disagree with the sweet and sour thing, can’t stand it, but hot apple pie with ice cream or better yet hot chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream – Yumm!

Diane has her own business and we know her quite well. You can track down her brilliant Potions book via her Potions Club.

Did you know they come in blocks of ten? I didn’t but I do now, and I now own a block of ten. I bought them last night and am waiting on the paperwork to come through so I can register them with my business name – Ethics Trading.

This is the first step in a lengthy process to get The Portal Between onto Amazon and into regular bookshop and library distribution channels.

So, I’m also tweaking the manuscript for this new edition with slight adjustments on formatting and layout as well as new wording on the copyright and dedication pages. If anyone reading has any constructive feedback to offer, now is the time to get in touch. Thanks for yours Aunty A, I’ll have a look as soon as I’ve finished the accounts and my tea.

Also, if anyone who has read The Portal Between has any questions that they’d like answered in the next book(s) then please do pipe up and ask. You might get your answer, you might not, but it’s worth asking.

Thinking about coins and dragons at the moment…..

I mentioned Lily taking over the Portal stories, in this post.

I started that story with a rough idea of genre and two main characters – Kate and Sam. I had no plot and no real idea of where the story was going. I was writing out my own personal demons and pouring heart and soul into the whole thing as a form of therapy. Oh and it was a dare that I couldn’t resist…

Anyway, I got to the point where Kate tells Lily that she’s seen Sam and something weird was going on and Lily started doing things that took me by surprise. She knew things that she shouldn’t have known and said things that had an odd resonance, leading me to think she had a much greater part to play in the story. I’ve heard and read of other writers saying similar, that their characters take over and I thought it was nuts. I mean, you made them up right? How on earth can they take over? You, the writer, control the characters and plot don’t you?

Umm, no. I take them and shape them, give them form and feelings, breathe life into them and when it works they behave like real people. When it works they do and say surprising things and I have to choose to either let it happen and work with the person they become or to force them into the plot I have in mind. I’ve tried that. It doesn’t work. They rebel and the story doesn’t flow properly.

Well, it doesn’t work for me anyway. What I’m saying here is that each writer has to find their own way and their own methods for writing. It’s all very individual! When you find the right way for you then it’s magical and almost addictive. Once I discovered that planning is not great for me and that I write best under competitive pressure, then I was hooked.

The Portal Sundered (current working title) is mostly written but is in need of some serious editing and rewriting work – that will commence after Christmas now and I hope to be able to get it ready for release around Easter, but don’t hold me to that!