Author: a.coates1@btinternet.com

Choosing Titles

pwtteensCreating a title for a non-fiction book seems comparatively easy. It needs to make a statement about the contents of the book and possibly the author’s stance. When I wrote my first two non-fiction books for Wayland Publishing they were part of a series so the title was agreed in advance. My university books: Applying to University and  Surviving University (Need to Know) were similarly constrained and the books I wrote linked to my family website, Parenting Without Tears (Endeavour) worked well as a series title.

ataleoftwosisters1My short story collections (Endeavour) took their titles from one of the stories: Cheque-Mate and Other Takes of the Unexpected and A Tale of Two Sisters. However the latter did begin life as A Proper Pride!

However there was a sense of freedom that came with selecting titles for my crime novels published by Urbane. I wanted the title to encapsulate the story in a creative and perhaps off-beat way.

Therefore titles of the first two books are linked to favourite poets. Dancers in the Wind is a reference to a verse in Dryden’s poem Fortune:

cropped-dancersinthewind.jpg“I can enjoy her while she’s kind;

But when she dances in the wind,

And shakes her wings, and will not stay,

I puff the prostitute away.”

One of the central characters is a prostitute and several are killed during the narrative, so that verse seemed pertinent to me.

For the sequel, which begins with the murder of Hannah Weybridge’s close friend, I worked on various connotations. I tried out various combinations of words from Death and Dispossession to Ambassadors for the Dead. Some 12 titles competed for the crown.

I was eventually inspired by Andrew Marvell’s poem, In Mourning – in particular the last verse:

“I yet my silent judgment keep,

Disputing not what they believe:

But sure as oft as Women Weep

It is to be suppos’d they grieve.”

So this led to title number 13 – Death’s Silent Judgement which will be published in May 2017.

Before deciding on these I made sure there were no other books with the same title by searching for books on Amazon and other websites. It’s amazing how often authors (or publishers) come up with the same title and confusion can arise sometimes with one author benefiting from the popularity of another.

Now I am writing the third book in the series and am considering titles. There are various facets of the narrative that I’d like to include but they won’t necessarily sit well together.

So again I am jotting down any ideas as they come to mind. Perhaps another poem will be the inspiration I need?

 

Dancers in the Wind – Signing Session

signingsessionFinding new ways of promoting a book is difficult – how to make your book stand out among the thousands which are being published? Answers on a tweet please!

Signing sessions are an age-old standby, but I know from my days as a book publicist these can often be disappointing – unless you are a celebrity, of course. Nothing is more soul destroying than sitting in front of a pile of books and waiting…

However, ever the optimist, when a local hostelry, The Palmerston in East Dulwich, offered to host a signing session, I thought I’d give it a go. The venue is popular and on the main shopping street. Choosing the time between lunching and dining, we hoped to catch some passing trade. So posters displayed and social media alerted, I turned up on Saturday 29 October – the books had been sent on ahead by Urbane Publishers.

teamdancersThe staff were brilliant. We had been allocated a whole corner of the pub which gave the affair a party atmosphere and there was plenty of space for people to mingle and socialise.

My lovely daughter, Olivia, once again provided book cakes and, although in terms of numbers we didn’t break any records, the buzz of the occasion was exhilarating. Some people brought along copies they had already bought and were reading or had read. Others bought an extra copy for a parent or friend.

For me it was an absolute joy to chat about Dancers in the Wind, my characters, the themes and what was going to happen next with people who were interested and enthusiastic. Some people I knew, others I was meeting for the first time. One person surprised me by having checked me out on Goodreads and knew about my other books as well. How flattering is that?

Everyone had one question or another about the sequel. However there were no spoilers… You’ll find out how Hannah’s life progresses in Death’s Silent Judgement to be published in May 2017!

Dancers in the Wind is on sale in Foyles and other bookshops and can be ordered from Amazon UK or Hive Stores with free delivery.

 

Book Blog Tour for Dancers in the Wind

books1Gamekeeper Turned Poacher  damppebbles book blog

The Long Journey to Publication Reading Room With a View

Hannah and Me  Bibliophile Book Club

Creating characters Off-the-Shelf Books

Q&A Author interview with Liz Loves Books

From Short Stories to Novels on First to Last Page

The Influence of Reading on Writing Linda’s Book Bag

My Inspiration Guest Post for A Lover of Books

What’s your first draft like? Murder to a Tea

With thanks to Liz Barnsley for arranging the book blog tour.

Dancers in the Wind is on sale in Foyles and other bookshops and can be ordered from Amazon UK or Hive Stores with free delivery.

From Romance to Crime

cropped-dancersinthewind.jpgMy last staff job was as Assistant Fiction Editor on Woman’s Weekly and Woman & Home – many years ago now. For a year before that I’d worked on a confessions magazine where I had my very first short story accepted and published. Strangely enough, that story involved a crime: blackmail with the perpetrator – the “I” of the confessional – ending up losing her job. Moral retribution.

Some of the serials we published in WW and W&H were written specifically for those magazines. Others were novels about to be published and serialised beforehand. Most were romances – although W&H allowed a wider remit and we had thrillers as well but always with a romantic perspective.

Most novels had to be abridged and each episode had to end with a cliff-hanger  – some novels lent themselves to this easily. Others had to be worked on. I also had to learn the art of the synopsis as each week or month we began with “The story so far…” And even though I became adept at this I still find it difficult to write synopses for my own work!

Romantic stories tend to be predictable ­– the skill is to keep the reader hooked regardless. So many people (not authors) have told me that writing a romance is easy. I’d like to see them try. They are really difficult to get right. And if you’re not sincere, this will be exposed in your writing.

During this time, I tried my hand at short stories but without success. It took me some time to find my “voice” although I was given some encouragement along the way. By the time I left IPC magazines, I had some good contacts and translated two books from French for WH Allen (one under a pseudonym as it was an erotic novel for which I had to learn a lot of new words!).

While freelancing as a journalist, I started writing tales with a twist for Bella and also wrote longer stories. A lot of the twist stories had an element of crime – from bigamy to murder – involved. I also wrote an historical crime story linked to Sherlock Holmes, which was published in Candis.

Then came the commission to interview a police officer and a prostitute at King’s Cross and the knock on the door in the middle of the night which started a trail of “what ifs” that eventually became Dancers in the Wind.

 I’ve always had a passion for reading crime fiction from Dickens and Wilkie Collins to Edgar Allan Poe and, of course, Arthur Conan Doyle. Patricia Highsmith,  Minette Walters and Sara Paretsky all feature in my list of favourites. There are some great crime writers around now – each one with different skills and perspectives ­– and I love reading them especially the police procedurals that I’d never attempt myself.

In my novels the police investigation is in the background while Hannah investigates from a journalist’s point of view although there is always a personal connection which leads her into harrowing situations. And just with a nod to my past editorial roles, there’s also just an element of romance.

Dancers in the Wind is on sale in Foyles and other bookshops and can be ordered from Amazon UK or Hive Stores with free delivery.

 

Balancing the books

simonlaunch12a-2-1September has been a strange month. As I have been completing drafts two and three of Death’s Silent Judgement, I have been writing guest blog posts and organising publicity for Dancers in the Wind, the first novel in the trilogy.

The positive early reviews on NetGalley for my début crime novel have given me more confidence while working on book two – as have the comments of the two beta readers who have been so generous in their praise.

It was rewarding reading the proofs for Dancers in the Wind as it served to reminded me of characters who reappear in Death’s Silent Judgement, some of whom have revealed different sides to their personalities. Meanwhile some characters in book two are nudging me, like starstruck actors, for a more substantial role in book three. At least one will have his wish come true.

It has taken me a long time to decide the fate of a couple of the main players in book two and I have been sad to lose them. I’ve also had to ditch a couple of my favourite scenes as they didn’t fit in with the narrative timeline.

But the real joy for me has been exploring the characters who have taken over, have trod their own path and have surprised me with their actions and lives! One character completely transformed and I shouldn’t have been surprised as there were clues along the way.

So Death’s Silent Judgement is almost ready to send off to Urbane Publications. One final read through and a few loose ends to tie up in the finale.

Meanwhile the launch parties are now arranged – just! – and I am full of first night nerves. But as with theatrical first nights there will be lots of friends to support me. The real test will be when Dancers in the Wind is on sale. Will readers enjoy it? I hope so as I have had such a great time writing it.

Dancers in the Wind is on sale in Foyles and other bookshops and can be ordered from Amazon UK or Hive Stores with free delivery.

First draft: Death’s Silent Judgement

Having just completed the first draft of the sequel to Dancers in the Wind, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the interview I did with Rebecca Bradley about first drafts nearly three years ago to see if my modus operandi had changed at all.

It would seem not judging by the answers I gave then. For Death’s Silent Judgement (to be published in May 2017 by Urbane Publications), I have concentrated during the first draft in getting words down on paper – or words on the computer file. I still edit a little as I go along especially correcting typos when I’m rereading a chapter or scene.

Now that I have the main bulk of the story written down, I have printed out the manuscript and oh how satisfying it is to see a pile of typed pages – even if some will have to be deleted later.

I have spent a day or so reading everything I have written and each character now has a page in my little blue book. One of the differences in writing this book is that, as a sequel, some characters have appeared in the first book and I have to make sure I get their details correct. Metaphorically, I am rolling up my sleeves to knock the story into shape.

First of all, I have to work on the timeline – as I neared the end of the story, I was writing some scenes ad hoc and now have to ensure the sequencing is accurate. There are gaps in the narrative which have to be explored and some themes need to be developed more fully. Several characters need developing (they are shouting at me to give them more scenes like demanding actors greedy for exposure) and sadly (for me) some themes or scenes may have to be scrapped or maybe completely changed. That’s always a tough decision.

I still remember a favourite scene of mine in Dancers in the Wind. I thought is was so scary and saw it completely visually. I was totally unprepared when my friend Sue who had read the MS as a beta reader, told me she thought I’d left something in that ought to have been deleted. It just made no sense to her (and to others I have to admit). So I rewrote the offending scene making it clear who the character was. I had wanted the identity to be uncertain but obviously ambiguity didn’t work.

With a pile of paper before me, I shall be physically moving scenes around to help the novel take shape, making notes on each chapter and joining the dots …

Rebecca Bradley Murder Down to a Tea What’s Your First Draft Like