I wrote in May this year about ‘Pushing doors, aiming high,
dreaming big’, before I submitted my chapters to: The Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition. A week
has passed since the competition shortlist was announced. Of course, it would
have been nice to have been on it, but as the quote reads, ‘If it doesn’t open
it’s not your door’. I’ll never know how close I came to being shortlisted. Did
the judges dismiss me upon reading the first paragraph? Or did my chapters make
it in to the hundreds from thousands, or the top ten, even? Only eight were
successful, and for all I know I could have been the ninth. It’s both
incredibly frustrating, the not knowing, and sort of exciting. Professionals
within the publishing industry have read my work- I may not have been what they
were looking for this time, but I hope that they saw some promise in my
writing.
I have several other doors lined up in the coming weeks. The
next is a week today (see link below), and I am very excited by it…
Books and the City, are hosting a #DigitalOriginals #OneDay call for submissions from authors.
Instead of having to try and attract a literary agent to get published, for one
day, you can go direct to the publisher. If they like your submitted first
chapter then they will request the completed novel. If your novel is selected
then they will publish it in digital format…My insides dance as I write the
words: ‘publish it’. Again, I imagine that I will be up against some great
writers, but it’s too good an opportunity to miss to let that put me off.
‘#DigitalOriginals is part of the Simon & Schuster UK publishing company’. The same publishing
company of my favourite female author, Paige
Toon, whose books I’ve been reading for almost a decade. I would be
immensely proud to have my novel published by them.
Another
great plus side to entering this event, aside from having my novel potentially
published and being able to meet my writing heroines, are the deadlines it
brings with it. Who doesn’t work better to a deadline? When we have all the
time in the world, we tend to take longer to achieve something. There’s no
rush, no urgency. Add a deadline and we work harder and faster. Yes, we probably
sleep less and worry more, but there’s a sense of purpose and achievement in
working towards something. If The Books
and the City team want to read my complete novel, they will let me know within
six weeks of submitting chapter one…that’s really REALLY soon. So, if any of
you are planning on seeing me in the next month, then be prepared. Bring
chocolate, coffee and hugs (lots of hugs).
Last week
my ‘sis’, as I like to call her, or my ‘sister from another mister’, Ruth, who
has been my rock in this writing journey so far, said to me: ‘If anyone has got
the determination to succeed it’s you!’ I used to wonder why authors had such
long acknowledgements in their books, now I know why. Writing is hard.
Self-doubt creeps in constantly. It would be easy to give up, which is why so
many people do. The people championing you- who believe in you even when you’re
having days when you don’t believe in yourself, keep you going. I’m lucky to
have so many people championing me- who believe in me and my writing. You know
who you are! I have already reserved a space for you in my acknowledgements
page.
So for now,
I will get back to editing my novel and leave you with this…
‘The size of your dreams must always exceed
your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they
are not big enough.’ Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
KT x
Well what can I say, it's been a true labour of love, but I am more than
thrilled to announce that my debut novel, Meet Me in the Treehouse is indeed
finished. I can barely believe it as I type these words. In fact, I feel a bit
overwhelmed. It wasn’t easy and those nearest to me know that I wanted to give
up so many times, but I persevered and I am so proud of myself and what I have achieved.
As I read the final chapter tonight I found that I had goose bumps, which I am
taking as a good sign that what I have written is full of both my heart and
soul. 
