Write your own novel challenge!

I was wasting time on FaceBook rather than writing my book (as usual!) when I came across a post from author Sally Quilford.  May - you write your novel challenge involves writing 80,000 words in 80 days from May 1st 2011 to July 19th.  This is a brilliant idea and just the thing to put a rocket beneath and prevaricating writer and get them all fired up.  The details are on Sally's blog and could be just what you need to get inspired. Published and unpublished writers can take part.

I'm certainly up for it because at the moment I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself. I'm really exhausted after school (I'm a teacher - I'm not literally at school!) and all I want to do in the evening is collapse in a heap. Hopefully knowing that the support of other writers is available (ie we are all suffering together!) will really help.  I've got to finish "Perfect Wedding" by the end of May " and "Issie Evans finds Rural Bliss" by the end of September. Gulp.

So, sign up and get writing! x

Writers' gathering!

I've been really busy this week sorting out contracts for a new novel under the pen name of Georgie Carter which will hit the book shops and supermarkets at Christmas.  Complete with glittery title and themed cover "Perfect Wedding" should be just the thing to snuggle down with on a cold wintery day.  I'm really excited! I wrote the book several years ago and I'm really pleased it's finally seeing the light of day.

This weekend I've been really busy working on my Year 11 coursework marking and at last I'm making inroads.  I allowed myself a day off though because my lovely writer friend, Victoria Connelly, and her husband Roy and down for a week in Polperro. It's been great catching up with them both and chatting about book stuff.  I feel less stressed about my deadlines when I talk to other writers and realise that they are just as flat out as I am! Vicki writes fab novels for Avon, and her next book is out on April 21st.  Check her out at http://victoriaconnelly.com Her Jane Austen books are wonderful.

To distract myself even further from writing book three I've ordered loads of new novels from Amazon, including the new Fiona Walker and Chrissie Manby.  I can hardly wait for the parcel and am stalking the Polperro postie! Chrissie is on the shortlist for the 2011 Melissa Nathan Award so fingers crossed for her. I didn't make it this time, sob, but there's always next year!  Hopefully people will like "Ellie Andrews has Second Thoughts" just as much as "Katy".

OK, I really must go and muck out my horse. Oh the glamour of my life! xx

End of a busy week!

Wow, I can't believe just how hectic this week has been.  There's been so much to do at school with coursework and parents' evening and I've hardly had a minute to get any writing done.  Today was BBC News Report Day which is a day when school students get to become journalists and produce a video edited reportage of world and local news.  They started at half eight and worked right through to the deadline at 2pm.  Matthew Shepherd from BBC Radio Cornwall joined us for the morning and the kids were thrilled to be interviewed live on air.  I was interviewed about Ellie Andrews has Second Thoughts so hopefully some listeners might pre order it.  Here's the ten minute report our students did. Enjoy! http://www.bodminphotography.co.uk/

My agent, Eve, called me yesterday with some brilliant news about a potential Christmas project. I can't say much in case nothing comes of it but I'm very excited. I will also be very busy too...

Last weekend I was very busy filming Polperro scenes for my next vlog.  I thought I would do a tour of the village and show all the locations from  Katy Carter Wants a Hero to give you all a taste of what inspired me. It's slow work editing though but I really hope to get it up and running soon! The footage is really stunning and it's quite a challenge to decide what to leave out.

OK, I'd better get back to work.  Before I go though, just a quick question: if I were to run Writers' Weekends on using video editing to make book trailers and promotions for novel publicity, would people be interested? I may as well use my Media Teacher expertise!  email me and let me know at rsaberton@yahoo.com

I've also posted my latest short story on my website.  Feel free to read it and tell me what you think.
http://www.ruthsaberton.co.uk/RuthSaberton.co.uk/Short_Stories.html
xx

New Blog!

Hello! Welcome to my new blog. It's been an aim of mine for ages now to blog regularly and keep all my friends and readers up to date with what's going on.  I promise I'll do my very best to keep up with it.

For those of you who don't know me  I was born in London  but I’m now lucky enough to live in Polperro, a beautiful fishing village in Cornwall. All my life I’ve wanted to be a writer and as a child I filled endless notebooks with stories about ponies and forced my poor family to read them! When I was 14 I discovered Jilly Cooper and from the on my career path was set - I was going to write big fat block busters! I filled two arch folders with my historical bodice ripper (now hidden in my office, so cliched it makes me blush) before going on to write several shorter contemporary novels. It was at this time that I began my impressive collection of rejection letters!

One degree and a teaching job later I happened to meet my husband while on a girls’ weekend in Cornwall.  Weeks later I decided to do the maddest thing ever - I handed in my notice and moved to Cornwall to be with him.  I never looked back and I now teach Media Studies part time at Bodmin College and spend the rest of my time writing novels and short stories. 

I now have a literary agent, Eve White (www.evewhite.co.uk)  and am lucky enough to write for Little Black Dress and Orion.  My first novel, Katy Carter Wants a Hero, was published in April 2010 and hit the national press because Richard and Judy picked it up. Katy was then sold to Russia (??) and Germany and is also out in the USA, or so American readers tell me! In March 2012 Katy was nominated for RNA Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year. I was lucky enough to get to attend a glittering ceremony in London where I met amazing writers like Katie Fforde, Lindsay Kelk and Jill Mansell. I could hardly believe I was there too. I'm on the bottom rung of a very long ladder but I'm loving every minute. I'm meeting amazing people and having so much fun. It sounds corny but it really is a dream come true.

My ultimate aim is to be able to write full time so watch this space!  In the meantime I'm really busy arranging all the publicity for my next novel, Ellie Andrews has Second Thoughts, which is out on May 12th and trying to write novel 3. I also teach writers courses (www.writerscoursescornwall.co.uk ) to support other new and aspiring writers.  They get to write and study in Polperro and we always find time for a quick trip to the Blue Peter Inn aka The Mermaid in Katy Carter. 

i'll do my best to keep you up to date with everything and share the steps of my writing journey.  Please feel free to contact me too with any questions, or follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

OK, now I really must do some work!  xx