So first, a reality check. I am writing this in the café of a huge skating/climbing wall/caving/high ropes complex on an out-of-town industrial estate. Thirty four overexcited Cub Scouts are running around – one of them is mine, overtired at the end of term, running on fumes. The music is
I had lunch with my editor on Thursday. I love having lunch with my editor. I mean, she wouldn’t buy me lunch if she wasn’t going to publish my novel, right? So that makes it real, in a way that school runs and lost homework and washing up and power
I fell in love with James the moment I set eyes on him, just as I fell in love with writing as soon as I learned to use a pencil. It was a connection that felt absolute and right, like opposite poles of a magnet, and when James proposed two
Throughout March, The Ship has been with rights, looking for a second home abroad, and while I would be delighted to announce further deals, I can’t, as they haven’t happened. But I’ve managed to keep myself out of trouble for most of March by reading the Bailey’s Prize longlist. I’ve
So Robert McCrum is having to have a garrett purpose-built because he can’t afford to rent a separate office any more. Hanif Kureshi, Professor of Creative Writing, has declared creative writing courses to be a waste of time and America’s John Kerry has told Putin that he can’t just march
Throughout January, The Ship was sailing to and fro between my editor and me. It was a strangely comfortable process. I had list of things to consider, to change, to polish. Frightening words that are still foreign to me – publicity, marketing, the elusive but seemingly essential concept of a
The story so far: Just before the summer holidays, I was taken on by an agent. Three weeks later, The Ship was sold to a publisher. Not long after that, the contract was signed. So it’s going to happen. In January 2015 – twelve months from now – a hardback
So you have finished the first draft of your novel. This is a wonderful and exciting achievement. You know, now, that you CAN do it. You are ahead of 95% of people who ever declared, ‘I’m going to write a novel.’ The Muses are having a party on Mount Olympus
As I mentioned in my last post, nothing much has changed since I got my book deal. I’m still finding lost library books, dealing with the ants that always invade at this time of year, being the dragon that makes sure everyone does their music practice and the administrator that
Last time I posted, I had just heard that a publisher had made an offer for The Ship. Since then, two more publishers have offered, and the deal has been done. The Ship is to be published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in January or February 2015. As an extra bonus,