Guest Post: Claire Laurraine Sharples

September's Guest Post is from Claire Laurraine Sharples. She is a creative writing student at UCLAN, and recently worked as part of the team that edited and published Michael Molyneux's collection of poetry. Here she tells us a bit about the behind-the-scenes work that went into the collection, and why, as a writer, the experience was so valuable to her. Claire blogs about the ups and down of the writing-student's life here.

As a writer, I have always been curious about the publishing industry. How do I submit my work to one? What happens to my manuscript? How are books published? I was able to answer these questions by taking part in a publishing project through UCLan’s very own publishing house, clan – u press.

Being chosen to be one of the five students involved in this publication was an exciting moment for me. We worked alone or as a team, taking on different roles performed in a publishing house: editing, design, promotion, accounting etc. Like the staff of a small publishing house, we were involved with the project from start to finish.

Publishing a book involves different stages so we set deadlines for the tasks to be completed, allowing space in between each one in case anything went wrong. As a team, we sat down with Michael and discussed our ideas and opinions in respect of the design and layout. We read through Michael’s poems, deciding which ones should go into the book. Sitting down together, we sifted through the images that some photography students had taken for us, and chose one for the cover, taking into account Michael’s choice too. The selection process was straight forward but the editing and design was more difficult.

Although Michael’s work had been published before, the manuscript we had contained various errors which had to be corrected. Taking into account that poets can break the rules when using punctuation, it was important we checked any amendments with Michael. We did not want to alter the structure of his poems. The corrected manuscript was dropped into a special software programme that we had been trained to use. A number of drafts were produced before the final one could go to print. All the drafts had to be carefully read through and edited where necessary. We had to come into the publishing house during our spare time. Staff expect to work long hours in this industry and we had to be willing to do the same in order to meet our deadlines.

Michael and the team enjoyed this project and gained valuable experience. For me personally, I developed new skills and an urge to pursue publishing as a career; as a writer I have learnt how to submit my work to publishers, how the process will work and what is expected of both publishers and authors. Good communication and developing a good relationship with your editor are the two main important issues I have learnt. My editing skills come in useful when I read through my work. Finally, I will be able to mention this valuable experience when I apply for internships next year.

Other recent publications from clan-u press include a local history book; “Memories of Frenchwood”, Beaumont College artwork; “Response” and poetry anthologies; “Taste” and “Therefore I am...” For further information of the press and their publications, please send your enquiry to ceth@uclan.ac.uk

Interview: Andy Duggan

Next up in our series of interviews is Andy Duggan. Andy will be reading from and signing his debut novel Scars Beneath the Skin at Word Soup #5 on the 22nd September.

Tell me a bit about how you got started with writing. Did you try short stories or poetry first before settling on the novel form?

I was caught up in an IRA bomb explosion in Manchester in 1996 and I began writing as some sort of a reaction. Not that I can explain it precisely, all I know for certain is that I had no interest at all in writing before that event. I can't remember any poetry, but there were lots of short stories and fragments of stories. Anything that came into my head, really - it did feel like an opening of the floodgates.

I also wrote a script for a Channel 4 competition. Around 1998ish, I think. There was a movie pitch website I sent a lot of ideas to as well, complete stories reduced to a synopsis of 3 sentences. I went on writing purely for the sake of writing, with no real direction, until I began to try and join up this jigsaw of fragments into a bigger story. I suspect I'd got to a point where I needed to feel a proper sense of purpose, but I had no confidence at all in my ability to write a novel.

Two things I was sure of. Firstly, the bare bones: a man who finds love at the point of suicide. Secondly, the opening line: There is only so much loneliness a human being can bear.
Scars Beneath The Skin took you ten years to write - what changes did the novel go through during that time? How did you keep yourself motivated during the long haul?
Many, many changes! There were 3 completely different versions of the story. Version 1 petered out and was never completed. The basics of the main character, Karl Dresner, were there, the sense of an alienated outsider was there, but the main female character was so ill-defined she was more like a ghost. Version 2 was an espionage thriller, but it was a real dog's dinner; more like 3 novels squeezed into one. Both Karl Dresner and Lucia Cavallieri were better defined, but they were lost in a plot that went out of control. Version 3 was a simplification of Version 2 and the final title appeared at this stage. Ditching the thriller baggage allowed me to concentrate on Karl Dresner's battle to overcome the effects of trauma.

Motivation did flag at times. There were periods where I didn't want to write at all, but the story kept nagging at me. I always felt I had a great story idea, but there was a dire confidence problem; I didn't believe I'd ever be good enough to do the story justice.I joined a writing group in 2004 and that was a huge help in picking me up from another low motivation point. Joining the WriteWords online community was another big help, mainly for making the process of approaching agents and publishers seem more do-able. I used The Literary Consultancy critique service once the final version was largely complete. Their report gave me enough confidence to submit the work.

Tell me a bit about your usual writing routine. Are you an early bird or a night owl? Computer or note-book?

If Carlsberg made writing days, they'd be like this. Get up at 6AM, write for a couple of hours, have breakfast and go for a walk. Read the day's work, probably in the evening, then let the unconscious turn over the ideas while asleep. I did have a pattern like that when I really got into my stride with 'Scars Beneath The Skin' and I'd like to get back to a similar pattern.
Computer, definitely computer. I sometimes make handwritten notes and I'm now trying to use handwritten index cards as well. I have got A4 notebooks I've been using for writing groups, but if there's something I particularly like in there I will try to make sure I get it onto the computer. It's the thought of losing handwritten work that makes me prefer the computer: I make sure I keep regular backups.

I'd love to make it sound as though I'm ruthlessly efficient and disciplined in my approach, but I'm not very good at lying.

Are you working on anything now? Can you tell us anything about your current projects?

Graham Greene is the writer who makes me want to write, and I'm aiming at a thriller with some of the depth and complexity (and seediness) Greene put into his work. There's a tentative working title of 'Supply & Demand,' I'm pretty certain the location will be Amsterdam and I'm pretty certain about who the main characters are: a drug dealer and a victim of human trafficking.

There's a gritty, visceral Danish crime movie called 'Pusher' which has given me a lot of inspiration. Films like 'Mona Lisa' and 'The Long Good Friday' as well; and 'Get Carter,' but I want to aim at something more than a gangster story. I want to add a layer of political/military conspiracy. Possibly a plot to smuggle nuclear weapons technology, but I'll have to be careful the story doesn't collapse in on its own complexity like my last attempt at a thriller.
I'm aiming for a larger cast of characters in this one; that was a piece of advice from The Literary Consultancy.

Confidence again is the issue now. Is the story good enough, or will I realise 60,000 words in that I'm on a hiding to nothing? I'll be a lot happier once the story's firmed up enough for me to be able to get up at 6 every morning to work on it.

Aside from that, I do short pieces for review at a monthly writing group and I keep meaning to do some more work on one of those and submit it to Radio 4 for the Short Story slot.

How are you finding the promotional readings and signings you are doing are affecting your work? Is it helpful to meet your readers?

I haven't done enough events so far to greatly affect my work, but I've had some useful feedback via email and Amazon reviews to give me some food for thought. One thing I've learned. Make sure there are some passages suitable for reading out aloud. There's a lot of dialogue on 'Scars Beneath The Skin' and it's very difficult to use dialogue-heavy sections for readings. Daunting, really, the promotional thing, overall. To say I don't exactly relish being the centre of attention is an understatement that belongs in the Guinness Book Of Records (is there a world record for understatement?). Having said that, I'll be sitting in the Cheshire Oaks Borders on September 19th hoping that some people notice me. I'm hoping, over time, to find reading groups who want to try my book out. Then I could go and talk to them, if they want me to. That sort of set-up, sitting round a table with a smallish group hearing what they have to say, appeals to me far more than standing in front of an audience while desperately hoping they don't slip into a catatonic state.(You can listen to an audio click of Andy doing an interview with BBC Manchester here)

How far is this book autobiographical?

Only in the sense that I've got personal experience as an innocent bystander in two events from the story; a terrorist bombing and a riot. I didn't get so much as a scratch form the bomb explosion, though, and I'm not aware of suffering any psychological after-effects. I suspect, unconsciously, I made Karl a foreigner as a way of avoiding slipping into an autobiographical dead-end.

I have used some UK locations I know well, but some of those were moved to Germany. Karl's Munich office, for example, is based on where I used to work in Manchester. There's a scene on a tram based on snatches of an overheard Manchester Metro conversation. Some of the stroppy shop assistants are based on real people; one of my pet hates, that sort of 'service with a snarl' attitude. Parts of the Berlin riot are very close to reality and I couldn't resist allowing myself a Hitchock-style fleeting appearance (it's in an Irish bar scene).

As well as a writer, you're a blogger. What do you think are the benefits of a writer having a blog? What are the pitfalls?

An occasional blogger, really. There's no way I'd blog at all if it wasn't for having a novel to promote. Which leads on to the main pitfall in my eyes; I'm a very private person and it's too easy to give too much away on the Internet. Ideally, I'd prefer to remain completely anonymous while the book sells by the truckload, but that isn't the way it all works. Blogs are one big potential quagmire of self-indulgence as well.

So, I try to keep blog posts directly related to book promotion. I have posted one piece of flash fiction and I keep meaning to post some very brief book/film/TV reviews. Too often, blogging sinks down to the bottom of my 'things to do list.' Since it's free, though, it'd be daft to ignore it as a marketing tool. I've noticed some writers using Twitter to post quotable sections of their work. That'll be worth a try at some point.

Do you have any hints or tips for our readers who may be working on novels?

Top tip - join one or more creative writing classes or groups. Writing a novel is a very lonely activity and so it's important to get some social interaction with like-minded people. It also creates some peer pressure. I wish I'd joined a class/group much earlier.

A novel can take over your life. I had no idea when I began just how much time and energy writing would soak up. It's a difficult balancing act. You have to put your heart and soul into it, but don't let real life pass you by.

When you've spent 10 years slogging away with no sign of success, it's a great feeling to hear that a publisher wants to produce your work. It feels like winning an Olympic gold.

Don't imagine there's much money in it. There are statistics out there to show that only a tiny percentage of published writers can make a full-time living out of it.

Join an on-line writing community and you'll find a mountain of useful information. I've been a member of the WriteWords community for a number of years and that's how I first heard of Flambard Press.

Be prepared for lots of rejections. I've got a pile of 40 or 50 'Thanks but no thanks' letters. Every time you get a rejection letter, don't mope about. Do something positive and send your work out to another agent or publisher.

Don't let the lack of a literary background put you off. I failed my English Lit O-level, my career has been in engineering/computing and I feel at a definite disadvantage due to a lack of literary knowledge. I guess those feelings aren't going to disappear in a hurry. Who knows though - maybe that lack of a literary background helps me to write with a different voice.

The usual path is to find a literary agent first and then the agent seeks a publisher for the work. In my case, though, I've been taken on directly by a small independent publisher and I'm still agent-less (or should that be unagented?).

Make sure you have finished a novel and it's the best you can possibly do before you send the work off to literary agents and publishers. Even then, bear in mind that they are snowed under with work from aspiring novelists.

Consider a critique service. I used the The Literary Consultancy when I felt I'd done enough work on 'Scars Beneath The Skin' and the report gave me enough confidence to start sending it out. I bit the bullet, sent the whole manuscript and so had to pay a fair old whack. However, you could always send the first the first few chapters instead.

Be patient. I began submitting the work in mid-2006 and it was 2 years (and about 50 rejections) later before Flambard Press showed an interest.

Guest Post: Carol Grant

Today we're publishing a guest post from Carol, who shortly after joining one of Preston's writing groups, Writers' Inc, approached Galloway's to work on a project that involves amateur writers taking their creative work to the community. Here she tells us about her journey from interested amateur to the author of a serial drama that will shortly be recorded by volunteers and broadcast .

I'm a beginner to all this really and a late starter, being 55 years old! I've been writing poetry for a few years now. My poems are on any and every subject and I try to choose themes that reflect every day situations and experiences,using my imagination where need be. Most of them take a few minutes to write.They just pop into my head.

I joined Preston Poets' Society last September and whilst I enjoy the meetings tremendously, it has made me aware that my poems seem so simple compared to the other poets there. Mine are just poems that you can easily understand. You do not have to struggle to discover the message they convey. I am learning though, that we all have our different styles. I write, I like to think, for the 'ordinary' person, like myself.

In October last year I joined Writers' Inc. This is at present a smaller group than Preston Poets. Very friendly and very encouraging. I went along feeling a bit of a fraud at first, because I wasn't even a writer and I was afraid that it would all be above me. I hoped that my seventeen and a half years working in a bookshop down in Hertfordshire, would stand me in good stead should there be some discussion about books and authors.

The first time that I started to write short stories was in January of this year, prompted by the fact we were set homework by the chairman of Writers' Inc. Since then I have continued writing and have even dared to read out my efforts at the meetings! Last December I contacted Galloway's Blind Society and offered my services.That is twice a month I go over to their recording studio and with other team members read/record articles for them.

At present I am on the team that reads Farmers Guardian. Despite the title it is not at all boring. Every time we go in we learn something new about the farming world. Whether it's a brilliant new way to muck spread or how much a two year old rampant bull would set you back. ( quite a bit I have learnt!) One of the ladies from Writers' Inc, not knowing that I went there, suggested very kindly that it would be nice if we could go over to Galloway's with the idea to perhaps start a creative writing group with some of the people that use the facilities there. Also that we offered them some of the short stories and/or articles that we have written.

James,the producer of Lancashire Eye was very pleased to accept this offer and during a meeting with him, he asked if it would be possible to write a soap opera? (I much prefer the term, serial drama. It sounds more up market!) This was very exciting news to my ears.What a brilliant idea! What a fantastic challenge!

Any one that knows me,will know that if an idea is put into my head,then I just have to get on and do it straight away. I'm one of those people who wants things fast. Like yesterday. So I've already written three episodes and had them read by James at Galloway's and by Linda at Writers' Inc. Both of whom have given their seal of approval. Linda reads them straight after I've written each episode and always gives me sound advice and helpful comments, which are very much appreciated.

We expect to start recording the first few episodes very soon. I also am about to start going over to Galloway's to record some articles written by other members of our group. I would love one day to get a collection of my short stories or even a novel published, but that may never happen. I can only imagine and dream.

If you'd like more information about Writers' Inc, please contact Carol direct at carolelizabethgrant@hotmail.co.uk - PrestonWN wrote a little bit about their activities in this previous post.

PrestonWN is always interested in hearing from her (his? its?) readers: if you have a story, group or event you'd like us to feature, or you'd like to write something for us yourself, please get in touch.

Interview: Ed Walker from Preston Blog

We're assuming, if you're reading this, that you're interested in the nuts and bolts of blogging - choosing a subject, building a readership, networking and promoting yourself. Who better to ask, we thought, than Ed Walker, who writes the locally famous Preston Blog and edits the Preston Twitter directory, among other things. Currently, Ed works at the UCLAN Students' Union as Web & Digital marketing co-ordinator and is also a trustee for Mencap Liverpool. We roped him in to answer a few questions about blogging.

PWN: Hi Ed. Thanks for coming. Lets get the ball rolling . How did it all begin? What inspired you to start Preston Blog?

EW: It was a bit of a New Year's resolution. I was sick of mates bitching about how poor the LEP was and how there wasn't anything that really represented Preston. I saw a gap for a decent blog that encompassed loads of different stuff about Preston and really connected with a community. I also took inspiration from St Albans Blog run by Robin Hamman (ex-BBC head of social media) and thought if St Albans can do it then why can't Preston?

PWN: And what's been the highlight of the experience so far?

EW: Opening my inbox and every day having an offer from someone for a guest post, a lead for a story, an image or simply someone just saying how much they enjoyed reading the blog. Oh, and the Sunday just gone when the blog got 271 views in a day! I nearly fell off my chair.

PWN: Has the project taken off as you expected it to? Have there been any 'blips'?

EW: It's surpassed all expectations. I started the blog just under a month ago and it's just gone from strength to strength. I really have been taken aback by the level of support I've received from all the readers and it seems that my hunch was right, there really is the demand out there for something like Preston Blog on the web. Blips, there's been the odd evening where I've had no idea what to write about but then something pops up on twitter or drops in my inbox and suddenly I'm up and running.

PWN: Do you do it all on your own? Are there opportunities for budding bloggers and web journalists to get involved?

EW: I had an email from a student journalist at UCLAN, Kirsty Higginson who said she wanted to help out. I asked her what she was interested in and she said music and films, so she's now music, films and entertainments correspondent - so hopefully she'll post regularly and that takes the pressure off me a little bit. I've also had some guest posters now, but basically Preston Blog is there for anyone to contribute to and I've had a really great mix of people so far.

PWN: So, for people who might be thinking about submitting some work to you - what do you think makes writing for a blog distinctive - different from other kinds of journalism or non fiction writing?

EW: I think it's distinctive because it really is your own voice - if you've got something to say you can say it. There's no newspaper owner, book publisher, PR man etc wanting to change this bit, take that angle. If you want to say something you can go right ahead and just say it - within reason of course.

PWN: And along the same lines, what turns you off blogs? What's likely to make you want to click away and go and read something else?

EW: If it hasn't been updated for a long time. If the only posts written are 'Today I went to the shop and I bought some eggs and then I read the paper and I thought it was good...'. Blogs aren't there as a diary. The only time that they should be used as a diary is if you're someone famous or do a very important job and then a diary is interesting.

PWN: If you could give advice to someone about to start a blog of their own, what would it be? EW: Just do it. Get your blog started, get posting and that's when it all really starts. Don't spend too long on the design, colours etc - just get your content. Also make sure you are commenting on other people's blogs and reading around your subject, this will get people coming to your blog. And stick at it, at the start you'll look at your blog views and despair that 8 people a day are looking at it (that's what it was like when I started Preston Blog) but I got out there, talked about, made connections, begged some guest posts off people and then it took off.

PWN: And 'a little bird' (joke - birds, tweet, twitter! Get it? No? Sorry) tells me you're planning an event sometime soon. Fancy plugging it here?

EW: Preston Blog is running a 'tweetup' - hosted by Stage 9 Marketing and held atthe New Continental pu b, in the Snug room, on Tuesday 17th March 2009 from 7 PM. You can regis ter beforehand to reserve your place and also claim a free drink if you're in the first 50 to register. Preston Tweetup is a chance to come together and share your views on an important issue about the city, either in person, via twitter, or both!

PWN: You'll have to fill some of us luddites in on what a tweet up actually is. We know, because of your famous Twitter Directory you're fond of twitter, so I'm presuming its something to do with that?

EW: A tweetup allows you to bring a laptop/mobile phone on the night and connect to wireless and then contribute, via twitter, the micro-blogging site, both online and in person.

PWN: And there'll be technical support on the night for those new to social networking?

EW: Absolutely. And go here if you want more information.

PWN: Any final thoughts about the writing 'scene' in Preston?

EW: It's quality and not quantity that counts. I don't think there's been any effort to really connect writers in Preston and create a 'scene' so to speak - but there's a big university, with courses in English/creative writers, there are libraries and novelists, and if you can get these people talking and working on things then suddenly there's going to be a buzz. I don't think we should compare ourselves to other cities, or worry about them for that matter, let's build a community in and around Preston and then hopefully there will be some great stuff produced.

PWN: Thanks for coming Ed, and good luck with the night. We'll be there, and you can follow Preston Writing Network on twitter and keep up with us in real time by clicking here.

The Preston Tweet up logo was designed and created by Kerry Sholicar, a graphic design graduate from UCLAN.

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