Wednesday, October 01, 2008

busybusy

Current work: revisions
Listening to: Kathryn Williams
Reading: not – am writing

Busy today – hopefully finalising my revisions (or at least filling in a decent chunk of the gaps – was sidetracked yesterday because my publisher wanted me to do something), then this afternoon am doing a talk on ‘how to write non-fiction’ for a local middle school, as part of the National Year of Reading.

Actually, I’m a bit nervous about it; I’m more used to an adult audience. What I hope is that I’ll entertain the kids enough to make them want to go off and read books and write something of their own. So it’s Kipling’s ‘six honest serving men’, explaining how you can make things more interesting for your reader (sub-headings, pictures, captions and quotes – and how to make a picture more exciting), and then an overview of how a book is produced (from idea to outline to writing it – where you get the facts, how you present it – then proofs, the jacket, the finished book… and what the local paper does to publicise it, including locking you in a dungeon – well, that’s what mine did to me, to get a ‘spooky’ photograph!).

Have agreed with Dad that I’ll visit on Friday rather than tomorrow, so I can definitely have this book off my desk tomorrow. And then it’s articles, a bit more nonfic, and then hopefully my ed will give me the green light for the Norway book (sans reindeer… but I’m planning a teensy cameo).

2 comments:

Michelle Styles said...

I would think reindeer antlers with every little else on could make an appealing picture...
Hooray on doing a Norway book. Is this is a good excuse to visit the Northern Lights?

Kate Hardy said...

Tut, Michelle. This sounds like a Colin Firth fantasy.

It's a great excuse but... cost. And February is the best time of year. I'm holding out for my 45th birthday (which I know is ages away) and will have another outline to match it *g*