Posts Tagged ‘writing’
And the sun sets on Purple Roads
January 20, 2012
I feel sick.
I’ve got butterflies and the shakes. And on top of all that, I’m nervous (and a worrier!).
The sun sets on my new book, Purple Roads
Purple Roads is heading to the printers on Monday. That’s it. Done. Finished. There’s nothing more I, nor my editor, can do. The sun has set on this journey.
I get like this any time I release a book – oh except perhaps for Red Dust. I’m not sure I understood what releasing my work into the world of critics, reviewers and readers actually meant then. I sure as hell do now.
I’m probably going to be slightly hard to live with, as April 2 grows closer. Of course I’ll do my best not to be, but every time the email ‘pings’ with a new message, or the phone rings, I’ll jump and open/answer them with fear grinding in my stomach.
It might be a review.
I still haven’t held the book in my hand yet – hopefully sometime over the next three weeks I’ll get to do that. I know when I do, I’ll probably cry. I’ve poured my heart and soul into Purple Roads and as I’ve mentioned before, it was written through a difficult period for our family. (Silver Gums is being written under the same pressure and it’s something I’ve learnt to deal with).
So now it’s all done it’s just up to you guys. I’ll be looking forward (I think) to your thoughts, when it does hit the shelves. And please, do let me know.
The release date is April 2 but often books can be found in shops a few days earlier, so you may see it around the end of March.
We’re just putting together the publicity schedule and as soon as I know where I’m heading, I’ll be letting you all know!
Rochelle and Meita
So for me now, I’m off to enjoy the rest of the school holidays with the kids and help in the feedlot. I’m looking forward to that!
Maybe if I’m really lucky, I’ll get some beach time.
Esperance at it's most beautiful
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The start of Silver Gums
December 12, 2011
Silver Gums 'Purple Book' of ideas
This normal-looking purple book holds they key to my imagination. It’s where I write down every thought and detail I have for my next book, Silver Gums.
I can’t tell you much about it at the moment, as I’m still working through the plot, ideas and characters.
This time I have done things a little differently.
I’ve gone through magazines and cut out ‘real’ people and stuck them in my ‘little black, er purple book’. These are my character pages.
So for example the photo you can see here? They represent the main characters brother and sister-in-law, Ryan and Marni. This way I can’t forget if I have given Ryan blue eyes and black hair or blonde hair and brown eyes.
It’s easy to carry with me and I find it much quicker to hand-write notes than try and type them on the iPad or computer.
So, this is the start to Silver Gums!
Purple Roads edits make it to the mailbox in Perth
December 5, 2011
I’ve had a trip to Perth recently and I took advantage of not having any ‘distractions’ such as kids, husband or farm, to finish the edits for Purple Roads. I worked until late on Tuesday night and although I will never say I’m ‘happy’ with it – that’s just not in my nature; I am more relaxed about the book now. It was lovely to have many hours just thinking about the story line, Matt, Anna and all the other characters without interruptions.
On Wednesday morning, about 7:30, in desperate need of a coffee, after my midnight bedtime (I’m usually in bed by 8:30pm most nights on the farm and I still wake at 4:30am no matter what time I go to bed!) I wandered off in search of caffeine and a mailbox. (I took the express post bag containing the manuscript and edits with me.)
After calling into The Dome, I knew the next job had to be done. I quickly stuffed the parcel through the mailbox before I could change my mind, took another sip of coffee. Refusing to think about it any more, I took off down the street before someone reported a mad woman trying to break into a mailbox in the centre of Perth.
Wednesday was busy and once my appointments started, I hardly had time to remember I had posted Purple Roads off, let alone think about it.
As I had stood in front of the mailbox, the previous day, working out when it had to be in the box by to make it to my editors desk by the 1st of December, I had read that collection times were 3:30pm, everyday.
Purple Roads by Fleur McDonald is mailed in Perth
After a full on day, that afternoon, I needed to escape the confines of the hotel room and took off for a walk down Adelaide Terrace, only to see the mail man and his van parked next to the box that contained the Purple Roads package… Unaware that he was being watched, the mailman emptied the mailbox and drove off in his van. I stood there and followed his path, wondering what the future was for that little manuscript that he was carrying.
The end is nigh…
November 22, 2011
There is a lady in Esperance who, every time she sees me, asks me if I’m writing my next book. When I say yes, she’s always surprised, but even more so when I say I have a deadline.
‘Oh, you have to write to a deadline?’
‘Yes, yes I do,’ I nod.
‘Really? I thought you’d just write and when it was ready you would send it in.’
‘No, I can’t do that, I’m afraid.’
You see, publishers are businesses. They need to have books signed up long in advance. Their publishing list needs editing, selling, marketing and many other things that start long before the book actually physically is on the shelf in a bookstore.
The booksellers and the bookshops need to know too. So yes, I and every other author work to a deadline. Sometimes this can stifle the creativity and make me want to bang my head against a brick wall. Other times it spurs me on. A little pressure never hurt anyone!
Edits of Purple Roads, due out April 2012
My editing deadline for Purple Roads is Thursday. I still have about ten chapters to go. Normally this would be easy – three or four hours at the most, but as I’ve said in my last few posts, I’ve been pretty busy and don’t seem to have found any more time in the day. (If anyone has can you tell me where to purchase it please?).
Edits can be really confronting. As you can see in this photo, there are lots of squiggly lines, words crossed out, words put in and suggestions made in the margins. When I saw my first edit on Red Dust, I just about had a heart attack! Editors use symbols and it was like learning to read another language.
So as I try and get out of harvest for a day, to finish these edits, I’m looking forward to Thursday with a mixture of anticipation and horror! Horror, knowing that I have to do in a few short days and anticipation realising the journey of Purple Roads is just about complete.
Dusting up a storm
September 1, 2009
‘Fleur dusts up a storm’ – according to RRR Network News!
A while ago I was asked to write a piece, for the RRR Network News, about how Red Dust came into being.
RRR stands for Rural, Remote and Regional Women. It’s a wonderful magazine that connects rural women together, finds women who are doing amazing things and tells the rest of WA about them
If you follow this link, you’ll be able to read the piece and find out a little more about Red Dust!
Click here for the RRR web site.
The hardest part is done!
August 27, 2009
I’m feeling wonderfully relieved! The Blue Skies manuscript is winging its way to Sydney, via the internet! And earlier than my deadline – which I’m really happy about!
I finished the final touches and now its a waiting game to see if Louise, my publisher, likes it (that’s always really nerve wracking!), then its onto the first edit done by freelance editor, Ali Lavau, and Siobhan, my A&U editor!
Over the next three months, I’ll be listening to what Ali and Siobhan have to say, looking at all the changes they’ve made and adding my own thoughts and changes.
The publication date for Blue Skies is set for April 2010, not May like I thought and its going to print in January 2010! It all seems so fast after Red Dust taking ages to get onto the shelves!
The Winner!
August 24, 2009
Well, after trawling through all the entries for the Farm name comp, we finally have a winner!
But before I tell you who it is, I’ve got to thank everyone who entered. The response was enormous, with entries coming from as far away as New Zealand.
The decision was actually really hard – now I know that’s always said, but I’m genuine in saying so. There were some beautiful Aboriginal names, some fantastic Australian names and some names that would make great titles for a book (I’ve kept all of them in case I need inspiration!).
But what was hard, was finding a name that suited the overall tone of the book – there were many suggestions I would’ve used, had the story line been slightly dissimilar to what it is or had Adrian been different character.
John Doyle, from Brisbane, was the winner, with the farm name Paringa which is aboriginal for ‘place at the river’. John, thank you for the thought you put into it and entering! Your prize pack will be winging it’s way to you shortly, thanks to Allen and Unwin.
Blue Skies … nearly there
August 7, 2009
Blue Skies is nearly complete. I have the editing to go and I’m positive that I’ll make the September 1 deadline – which is fantastic for me and Allen and Unwin, as they’ve already got the freelance editor, Ali Lavau, booked to start work on the manuscript, basically as soon as it arrives.
I’ve really enjoyed writing Blue Skies – it’s taken a fair amount of research, which, as resident of the Esperance Shire and farmer, has been a wonderful learning time for me.
I now know so much more about the history of Esperance, it’s land and pioneers. That knowledge I can pass on to my children, which hopefully will ensure that the history isn’t lost as generations pass.
Here's the Competition!
July 14, 2009
Together with That’s Life magazine, we’ve thought of a way that you can be included in helping write Blue Skies!
If you head to this link you can enter the competition that we’ve got going for a farm name.
You’ll have your name mentioned in the acknowledgements if I chose the name you’ve entered, plus win a book pack worth $142 from Allen and Unwin.
Can’t wait to see your suggestions!
Blue Skies — the next book!
May 20, 2009
I’ve had lots of questions about whether there’s a new book in the making. Well, there is! Its been on the go for a while, but got shoved onto the back burner when Red Dust was released.
However, today’s the day! With a cold northerly blowing and tomorrow being taken up with lamb marking, I’m sitting at my office desk, pondering Blue Skies.
I’ve found it hard to even think about this second book over the past few weeks with Red Dust coming onto the book shelves. That in itself has been a baptism by fire, with interviews and more phone calls than I’ve ever had!
Its hard to suddenly be out in the spotlight, when I usually talk to cows, sheep and chooks, more than I talk to humans! But it’s been a great learning experience and I’ll understand it more when Blue Skies comes out.
So, today, the bum is welded to the chair and Blue Skies will be getting closer to the finish line!
All the books that you can see around the key board are my research tools. There is a history element in Blue Skies and I was lucky enough to be given a government ‘Royal Commission on the Mallee Belt and Esperance Lands‘ report and an old Ag journal from 1837, which has been brilliant in helping my research along. Here we go …
