Inspiration Bound September 9, 2007
Posted by Jen in : Journal , 11 commentsWoo! The sun’s shining and I’m sprawled outside with my books and filled inside with oomph. There are two reasons for this:
The Freelance Writer’s Handbook. This is such a good book, written in a no-fluff way which wheedles out potential and possibilities you didn’t know you had. Not aimed towards fiction particularly but essential if, like me, you’re keen on the whole article-writing lark. According to this book, there are over 8,000 magazines on the market in Britain. Why shouldn’t they get their material from us? But once you’ve been filled with creative fizzle, you need to know where to send the fruits of your labours. So…
The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. Jam-packed full of opportunity – markets for writing, lists of societies and some corking articles by the likes of J K Rowling and Alison Baverstock. Jane Green’s fab article rang bells that have been tinkling with me recently. ‘Enlarge your life,’ she says, ‘the more people you meet, the more things you do, the more inspiration will strike.’ She also writes in the belief that every book she writes is ghastly until it’s been read and validated by her publishers. I’m still not sure that helps the fact that I think my half-novel is utter piffle but, hey, it’s encouraging, no?
There’s something biblical about this book; it contains so many of the essential ingredients of being a writer, you feel you can’t fail to make a saleable meal from it.
Writers’ and Artists’ also has a website – brimming with writing/agent snaffling advice and apparently about to be revamped. They’re also running a competition to become their official blogger. Please let it be me. Pretty please?
I’m feeling all ‘up’ today, can you tell? Perhaps I’ll start sleeping with these books under my pillow. I feel I have the tools I need now. I just need to gather up my reserves and get on with it even more than I have been!
