My confidence is bouncing up and down like a yo-yo. I’m not letting it stop me from writing, but I do keep looking at the possibilities facing this book once I actually hack it into shape, and they generally make me want to hide in a corner, stick pencils up my nose, wear my underpants on my head and say “Wibble” a lot. I guess I just keep seeing lots of these “first-time author becomes next-big-thing” hype machines happening in the world of SF and Fantasy, and while there’s a part of me that would love for that to happen, the rest of me keeps looking at what I’m making- and it’s an outrageous, jam-packed, nonsensical comic-strip slice of pop sci-fi that’s full of sex, comedy, romance and genuine self-discovery. (Gosh- now that I put it like that, it actually sounds quite good…) It’s just very unlike anything I’m seeing at the moment, and the fact that it isn’t designed to be completely serious- that it’s designed to be a brash, colourful and pulpy sci-fi novel that you can dance to, the literary equivalent of a Franz Ferdinand album- has me slightly worried that I’m talking utter bollocks, and people are going to take one look at it and say “The science doesn’t work and it’s all rather lightweight!” Well, if they do, they do. I’ll take it as it comes, but for the moment, I’m just going to be proud to produce a novel that’s absolutely unrepentantly 100% mine and nobody elses. I’m even getting the beginnings of genuine instincts about how it should go, and what directions to go in. There’s a long way to go- but then, I’m here alone for another 18 days, so I should be able to get a reasonable distance before I have to vacate back to the Big Smoke.
Two pieces of good news for me in the working world- I’ve got a manuscript to read for someone, plus I’ve got four days of subbing booked in for directly after the Edinburgh Film Festival. Life is going to be busy, but I’ve now almost paid my monthly wage all the way through until the end of October, which is a nice situation to be in…
Tomorrow, I battle chapters 10 and 11, in an attempt to wrestle the biggest gap in the novel under my control. I’m working my way through, slowly but surely, and I’m going to get there in the end.
Saxon Bullock 
Look at it this way: they say of Russell Davis’ Dr Who that the science doesn’t work and it’s all rather lightweight.. that didn’t help did it.
Can’t really say persuasive reassuring things because I haven’t read. Yet. Will read, will comment. Think I have a feel for what will sell (in the shop as opposed to to the publishers), for what that’s worth.
LikeLike
Bless you once again for being positive- although I’m presuming you mean ‘stop’ rather than ‘help’.
(Will refrain from knee-jerk “NO! MUST NOT BE COMPARED TO RUSSELL T. “DEUS EX MACHINA” DAVIES!! AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!” reaction. Honest)
And thanks for the offer to read. I will hurl a copy in your direction once it’s in a slightly more intelligible state. (And hopefully you’ll still want to talk to me afterwards…)
LikeLike
ladyG told me that it was a pleasure to read and interesting despite her being unavoidably spoilered to death, and she was saying that, so to speak, behind your back, so it wasn’t a being-polite-to-Saxon remark.
Am nervous, when I talk about reading this, that it won’t be close enough to my comfort genre so I’ll be outside your target audience, therefore an unhelpful reader (I tend to read fluffy fantasy, for some reason almost always by women, not sf) Am shy of reading things by friends because the stakes are higher if I don’t get the story. Which is why am behind on reading fanfics by a couple of efriends.
But, extremely curious. I know you have technical skills and out there imagination. And you’ve got an awful lot of writing down on paper recently. It’s all coming together.
Am rambling. Quite possibly hungover. Definitely not making sense. Sorry.
LikeLike
LadyG
Trust me hunny – the science works.
*hug*
LikeLike
Hey, S… I have a feeling I might be somewhere near to your target audience so you have another coluteer for reading if you need one… :o)
LikeLike
And I’m willing to volunteer as well as coluteer! Two for one!
LikeLike
Thank you sir for volunteering (and colunteering…)- I may possibly call on you once I get to a point where this literary monster isn’t trying to devour my every waking hour…
LikeLike
Is there a waiting list ?
to read the first draft ? I can’t guarantee any constructive feedback with regards to style, but I can spot hanging plot lines, scientific irregularities and typos.
Youichi.
LikeLike
Is there a waiting list ?
to read the first draft ? I can’t guarantee any constructive feedback with regards to style, but I can spot hanging plot lines, scientific irregularities and typos.
Youichi.
LikeLike
Re: Is there a waiting list ?
Thats odd, Livejournal asked me to confirm I am a real human, but posted it any way, and then reposted when I did confirm I’m real.
Youichi.
LikeLike
Re: Is there a waiting list?
Heavens. The idea of a waiting list for my book makes my mind boggle. Anyhow, there isn’t one, and I very well may get you to have a look sir! (Although, I make no apologies if you really don’t like it…)
LikeLike