The Duplicate - my short, dark, weird one
I wrote this book as a Young Adult novel and sent it out to a few teenagers. They said it was weird. That it messed with their heads. And that they loved it.
I got nervous. I worried my twisted story might ruin teenagers’ lives.
I wondered about making it longer, for the adult market.
I wondered about de-weirding it and changing the ending.
I put it to one side. I didn’t want to change it.
Then Snubnose Press came along and I had a brainwave - I could just blame them!
I’m even going to blame them if my own kids go wrong.
It’s the one I love, this book. I love the length – 40,000 words. I love the weirdness. I love the dark ending.
Think very odd girl.
Think rude photos.
Think revenge.
Think cloning…
If you want Snubnose Press to mess with your head, buy THE DUPLICATE on Amazon.com here.
Or on Amazon.co.uk here.
I love Weegie Wednesday
It must be four years ago now that I was asked to go and speak at a networking event for writers in Glasgow. I was a bit nervous, being new to the whole writery scene, and went there straight from the airport expecting to sit at a table and try to impress a few scary people.
When I arrived, the Universal bar was full of new and established writers and journalists and film-makers and comic artists and graphic novelists, none of whom were scary. And thankfully there was no need for me to try and impress anyone.
It’s my favourite event and I try to get there every month. Last night, it moved venue from the Universal Bar to the CCA in Sauchiehall Street. The bar was mobbed. Ian Rankin gave an entertaining and inspirational talk. And then we drank.
I think it’s so successful because it’s unpretentious, unintimidating, and full of good chat. There’s a speaker every month who talks for ten minutes (no Q and A).
Weegie Wednesdsay’s fun, but it’s also useful. I’ve made so many contacts there who’ve motivated and helped me. And I’ve made some wonderful, lifelong friends.
It’s on every month – the middle Wednesday. If you’re at all interested in writing, you should go.
They're on facebook here
Website here
WRITER’S CRINGE
My Top 5 cringe-worthy writer moments:
5. Taking what was supposed to be a funny montage of pictures of me in my office for a piece Luca Veste did for Crime Fiction Lover. They could only use one, and chose the one of me holding a guitar and looking pensive in my freshly painted, clean and completely empty office. I can’t play guitar. I look like a wanker.
4. Sitting at a signing table beside Dorothy Porter and Louise Penny at the Brisbane Writers Festival. They had long queues. I had to read my own book.
3. Having my first meeting with a screenwriting agent. He put his hands on my screenplay, sighed, and said: “Well done for getting it down on paper.”
2. Asking if my book was in the beautiful bookshop in Lucca. (Cattivi Pensieri, by Helen FitzGerald?) Before I knew it, all the staff had gathered in a circle around me, as well as most of the browsers, and the owner made an excited announcement: “Everyone, guess who’s in the shop! Helen Fielding!”
1. In the bookshop in Lucca, shaking hands with people who loved my Bridget Jones creations.
I have about 2000 more. Have you got any?
Amsterdam fun with Ambo Anthos
Celebrating 15 years of literary thrillers with Ambo Anthos. I was star struck. Then drunk.
How far would you go to increase your book sales? Would you give us that unnecessary organ?
At a PR event recently, a publicist asked me if I could think of a hook to help increase sales for The Donor. “It’s a shame you don’t have kidney disease,” he said, “and it’s not like you’ve donated yours…” He held my gaze for several seconds - I could read his thoughts: Would you? Is this something you could do for us? For you?
So many things went through my head, but the loudest was: I’m not sure if I have time this week.
A few days later, I gave a workshop on pitching at Write Now, part of the Aye Write Book Festival in Glasgow. I talked about how strange and uncomfortable it is that authors have to sell themselves to sell their stories. I came home wondering, how far should you go?
Should you tell the press if you used to be a prostitute? Even if it's a lie?
Would you upset someone you love by talking about the ups and downs of your relationship?
Talk about your addictions?
Your mental health?
Your parenting?
Would you sell a kidney?
(Go on, you have plenty of time this week. Whip it out).
A friend has just had her debut novel released. She emailed me about some interviews she’d been asked to do, wondering how much she should divulge about her life. I said something like this:
Don’t upset anyone you care about. It’s only a book, after all. It won’t hold your hand when you’re branded a liar, when an up turns to a down, when you realise you drink too much, or finally go to the doctor about the state of your head. And in a few decades, it won’t stick post-it notes around the house reminding you who you are, and where.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO? HOW FAR HAVE YOU GONE ALREADY? WOULD LOVE TO KNOW...
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(NB: I wouldn't go under the knife, but I'd sneak links to The Donor - Tod sei Dank in Germany - into my blog, and make a cool promo video...)
Great Adaptations - Based on a Novel by What T Dickens
I’m running a workshop at Aye Write next Friday, along a screenwriter I know well, Sergio Casci, and a producer I know almost as well but haven’t slept with yet (Claire Mundell of Synchronicity Films).
The three of us have been working on a film adaption of my thriller, The Devil’s Staircase, for 107 years. All going well, it’ll be filmed later this year.
The process has been fascinating – from finding the right producers, deciding who should write the screenplay, enticing a hot director (still top secret), and now – choosing the cast.
It’s scary, though. What if I hate it? What if it’s nothing like the book? Who will I blame? Even scarier, what if it’s nothing like the book and I love love love it?
My favourite adaptations are probably from short stories, like Stephen King’s The Shawshank Redemption and The Mist, perhaps because there’s just too much material in a full novel. And so many adaptations get it wrong, stuffing it all in no matter what, or leaving out the crucial element that glued it together.
I’m curious – what are your favourite adaptations?
And which ones made you scratch at your eyeballs? (Captain Corelli springs to mind for me...)
The Donor hits the small screen
Check this fantastic promo video for Tod sei Dank (Out in Germany Feb 2012, Galiani). It's all in English.
Sure pays to know people with talent - a whopping thanks to director Jerry Kelly. And to Darren Hercher, who shot, edited and took his shirt off. Also a big hurrah to Maestro Adrian Burns!
A group of onlookers gathered in our street to watch a naked man being filmed in my bedroom. I'd love to hear the gossip at church on Sunday (but won't, 'cause I'm a sinner).
Update - Events etc
This blog it hath weighed upon me...
Apologies, but I've been using up all my words elsewhere.
So this is just a quickie.
Nice piece in Screen Daily re the film of my third book, The Devil's Staircase.
http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/-levelk-climbs-devils-staircase/5037840.article
And lots of fun events coming up if you're near any of these places:
ZURICH
GLASGOW
04-03-2012
BERLIN
05-03-2012
GLASGOW
25-O2-2012
GLASGOW
1. ADAPTATIONS
(with screenwriter Sergio Casci and producer Claire Mundell)
1300-1400 9TH MARCH 2012
2. MAKING THE PITCH AND NOT STRIKING OUT
1430-1600 9TH MARCH 2012
BRISTOL
13:40 - 14:30 - 25TH MAY 2012Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know - WITH
Michael J. Malone
Moderator: Donna Moore
The Duplicate
Wow - love this cover for my novella with Snubnose Press, out soon. Great stuff Eric Beetner.
God bless our libraries (and PLR)
Just got my PLR statement through and am thrilled at the number of books people borrowed last year. When I tweeted about it, many other authors joined in the celebration. Thank God for our libraries. In case you’re wondering, people are still using them.
It was fascinating for me to see the borrowing figures for my first four books. I won’t go into details here, but two books were published by one publisher, and two by another. Two of the books did well. Two not as well.
Put the books on a level playing field – ie on the library shelves – and I realise that the two books that didn’t sell as well are miles ahead in borrowing figures. Either borrowers have different taste from buyers, or one of my publishers got it wrong. Hm.
I’m pleased, though. I’d written those two off as shite when they’re obviously works of genius.
