This is a very short story. It's based on the Broken Rooms universe, here:
We don't look up.
I had been groggily aware of this, even before I saw him. That half registered understanding that something was wrong. Slippery. Hard to pin down.
Occasionally, I would break through and realise that I never look up. I'd drag my eyes up and scan the Glasgow rooves, a growing sense of wonder. The architecture; beautiful, so isolated, undisturbed, unobserved.
Every time I would come to the same conclusion. I should look up more. There's so much to see up on the rooves.
And I never would. Months would pass, and I would look at my feet, shuffling round the city, looking at faces, at cars, shop windows, everything infront of me. But never the rooves.
Now, though, it starts to make sense. Last night, I looked up. Last night I saw him, looking down.
I shouldn't look up any more.
Thursday 26 January 2017
My first cover letter.
So, English agents prefer a cover letter to a query.
That's great, because it means they're going to start reading the book, rather than the query. That can't be bad. I believe in my book. But it's bad because, well... I need to do this:
(Stolen shamelessly from here)
The above advice lays out what I need to say in 37 words, and says I can use 40 words to do it. By my (high-end, super-duper) math skills, I've got three words left to sell the book. Hmm, let's see... My favourite three word pitches:
1 - Hello, I'm Ten-Tee.
2 - No Artificial Intelligence?
3 - Who said that?
4 - Boy meets girl. (This may seem simple, but read the book, and you'll agree it's painfully cruel.)
5 - Everybody loves Packu!
I hate pitching the book without talking about Packu. He's not important enough to make it into the pitches, but damn if he isn't the coolest.
Right, back to the grind.
That's great, because it means they're going to start reading the book, rather than the query. That can't be bad. I believe in my book. But it's bad because, well... I need to do this:
The fiction sound bite
could include:
a. The heroic character
b. The central issue of the story
c. The heroic goal
d. The worthy adversary
e. Action
f. The ending
g. A grabber
h. Or a twist
a. The heroic character
b. The central issue of the story
c. The heroic goal
d. The worthy adversary
e. Action
f. The ending
g. A grabber
h. Or a twist
40 words
(Stolen shamelessly from here)
The above advice lays out what I need to say in 37 words, and says I can use 40 words to do it. By my (high-end, super-duper) math skills, I've got three words left to sell the book. Hmm, let's see... My favourite three word pitches:
1 - Hello, I'm Ten-Tee.
2 - No Artificial Intelligence?
3 - Who said that?
4 - Boy meets girl. (This may seem simple, but read the book, and you'll agree it's painfully cruel.)
5 - Everybody loves Packu!
I hate pitching the book without talking about Packu. He's not important enough to make it into the pitches, but damn if he isn't the coolest.
Right, back to the grind.
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Surprise!
I was so sure I was ready. I was certain I could take this. On the chin, no problem. You know this is tough, you know the odds are awful.
It was a certainty they would come, and I was ready for the rejections.
No I wasn't. Damn you cruel world, how can you say no to this? Don't you know how I've sweated over this? Don't you recognise my pride? This is the best god damn book in the universe, and you reject it?
But seriously, two rejections within an hour? Boooo!
It was a certainty they would come, and I was ready for the rejections.
No I wasn't. Damn you cruel world, how can you say no to this? Don't you know how I've sweated over this? Don't you recognise my pride? This is the best god damn book in the universe, and you reject it?
But seriously, two rejections within an hour? Boooo!
Monday 23 January 2017
Once upon a time...
Query letter, pummeled into submission, shown the brutalized corpses of its predecessors and briefed on expectations.
Synopsis dragged screaming from my brain, told to straighten up and fly right, and slapped unceremoniously into a word document.
Query tracking spreadsheet, to everyone's surprise turned up for active duty without a complaint, self formatted and with some nifty drop down boxes.
Book written.
Two words. Because compared to everything else, the book was the easy part. What a bizarre industry.
Now I'm off to become the worlds most famous author. Or at least to have a copy of my book I can hold in my hand. I'll settle for that one, in case the first thing is already taken.
Is it taken?
Synopsis dragged screaming from my brain, told to straighten up and fly right, and slapped unceremoniously into a word document.
Query tracking spreadsheet, to everyone's surprise turned up for active duty without a complaint, self formatted and with some nifty drop down boxes.
Book written.
Two words. Because compared to everything else, the book was the easy part. What a bizarre industry.
Now I'm off to become the worlds most famous author. Or at least to have a copy of my book I can hold in my hand. I'll settle for that one, in case the first thing is already taken.
Is it taken?
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