Another book.........................

[Weathergirl]

My husband has always wanted to write a novel. But fiction, probably sci fi or fantasy. He just wants to do something he enjoys in his spare time. Trouble is there is no spare time right now so it's just a pipe dream. But one day maybe. I would be so proud of him if he did it.

 

[Brissles]

£5 coffees c/cane luv it !!! :mysmilie_17:

 

[QuiteVacuousChat]

But at least they got off their duffs and wrote the bliddy things and spent time working out how to do the self-publish thing. Surely props go to them for that? Anyone can do it but most don't have the discipline. I've no interest in reading them but obviously a small number of people do. Well done!

 

[Miss Ellie]

But at least they got off their duffs and wrote the bliddy things and spent time working out how to do the self-publish thing. Surely props go to them for that? Anyone can do it but most don't have the discipline. I've no interest in reading them but obviously a small number of people do. Well done!

Hear hear! If they have a novel in them and people want to buy it, good for them! I read about someone who developed a debilitating illness. He loves to cruise and wrote a book about his voyages interspersed with incidences of his illness. People loved it. I have actually read a book by Debbie Flint but didn't know she was a QVC presenter at the time I read it. I don't recall thinking anything bad about it. Horses for courses, not everyone wants to read War and Peace!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

She has spent most of Eek show rabbiting about twatting and her groups grr

 

[donna255]

I swear Julia has been talking on and off about this book for quite a few years. We have never found out how far she has got with it. First line??

 

[Brissles]

But at least they got off their duffs and wrote the bliddy things and spent time working out how to do the self-publish thing. Surely props go to them for that? Anyone can do it but most don't have the discipline. I've no interest in reading them but obviously a small number of people do. Well done!

I don't think its about discipline so much as having time on your hands to do this. DF has the time to be glued to her laptop when not appearing on air - hence her blogs, groups, 'novels' etc; JR has no childcare to worry about, a musician husband who is probably out of the house most evenings, so she too has time available; all the celebrities (I've mentioned earlier) have no 'projects' to be worked on, so writing a novel is a good time filler.

All this cant be done of course unless you have the comfort of financial security - J.K Rowling aside !!!!

 

[thatu]

Yup, you need time and financial security to do it - that's all. Self-publishing is a doddle these days - just type it in Word (other programmes are available), do a cover, bar code and ISBN numbers (which you buy in multiples of ten anyway), upload it to Kindle and there you are - self-published. No need for expensive book runs. Nice little hobby to fill in those lonely hours if you can spout a whole load of trash and are good at self-publicity. Not much skill required. Unless, of course, you're writing something worth reading.

 

[Boris Bear]

Yup, you need time and financial security to do it - that's all.

I'm not even sure that you need that much time based on the speed at which some of these books seem to be churned out. I was reading a proper novel by a successful writer the other week and noticed that she had produced one novel per year of her writing career not one every few weeks.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Even 1 per year is considered prolific - 1,per week is considered trash

 

[shopperholic]

Even 1 per year is considered prolific - 1,per week is considered trash

Yes, I think she likes to call her weekly churned out "novels" Chicklit............or something that sounds like it.

 

[Honeybunny]

Yup, you need time and financial security to do it - that's all. Self-publishing is a doddle these days - just type it in Word (other programmes are available), do a cover, bar code and ISBN numbers (which you buy in multiples of ten anyway), upload it to Kindle and there you are - self-published. No need for expensive book runs. Nice little hobby to fill in those lonely hours if you can spout a whole load of trash and are good at self-publicity. Not much skill required. Unless, of course, you're writing something worth reading.

Totally agree. I have inadvertently downloaded some absolute self published trash on to my kindle which I have very swiftly had to delete off again. There is a reason why these writers can't get published and it's cos they write to about the standard that most of us who are literate and have a modicom of imagination could, ie not very well at all!

I bet Debbie and Julia are absolutely furious that Jackie K has landed herself a real publishing deal and I will probably have a look at her detective story when it comes out later in the year. Just hope she has the good sense not to keep on about it on air though!

 

[louise66]

Debs' genre is not my cup of tea - factual/historical/biographical - but I admire and respect her greatly for having the courage and the ability to write a book. It is easy to say anyone could write it, and criticise the subject, but it is not that straightforward, irrelevant of whether the book is about the theory of relativity, or a romance novel. Actually deciding on the subject matter, is the first hurdle, closely followed by how to pen the opening paragraph. Not so easy.
I want to write a book, involving true crime, in my home town, over the centuries and, despite my having a degree, I am finding it difficult getting started. So intelligence isn't everything, which Debs has anyway. Time is also a barrier to me, as I do work long hours. Presenters at the Q, do not usually do more than 3 hours a day, and not for a full week.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Just think of all that free time between one show and the next one they are due to present, cos they sure as hell don't spend it doing preshow presentation.

Jackie in particular would have enough time to write War and Peace as she gets on my wick with her lack of preparation.

 

[shopperholic]

Debs' genre is not my cup of tea - factual/historical/biographical - but I admire and respect her greatly for having the courage and the ability to write a book. It is easy to say anyone could write it, and criticise the subject, but it is not that straightforward, irrelevant of whether the book is about the theory of relativity, or a romance novel. Actually deciding on the subject matter, is the first hurdle, closely followed by how to pen the opening paragraph. Not so easy.
I want to write a book, involving true crime, in my home town, over the centuries and, despite my having a degree, I am finding it difficult getting started. So intelligence isn't everything, which Debs has anyway. Time is also a barrier to me, as I do work long hours. Presenters at the Q, do not usually do more than 3 hours a day, and not for a full week.

DF doesn't work long hours, so she has all the time she needs to write her slutty "novels" are they based on experience? Hey who am I to say. Yes DF did need courage , to publish that rubbish she callls literature, which in my opinion is an insult to literature in general. It's easy to get books published on Kindle as another poster stated, so instead if praising DF, stop dreaming/moaning about it and do it, it's really not as hard as you think.

 

[Weathergirl]

Louise I agree "just do it" but I don't think it's easy if you work long hours. The True Crime genre that Louise describes is going to require hours and weeks of research and that is before you have even started putting pen to paper. And good fiction requires the "back work" preparation. Your character all need their own back story and if you are doing a Harry potter style series of books the back story and themes are very important. Cr*p fiction with only a very simple plot involving a girl who wants to sleep with the good-looking but distant guy -I agree can be churned out in less than a week once you have your formula sorted.

 

[Miss Ellie]

I reckon a good few books come from real life knowledge or experience. I remember one female crime author being interviewed and she said she had spoken to criminals etc. to get background etc. There are so many books out there and a lot of authors have ditched their day job to concentrate on writing. But if Debie Flint can write and do her tv work as well, good luck to her. I've downloaded not-so-good books before but I've also read good stories. There is clearly a market for chick-lit, after all it is a genre all of its own. You either like it or you don't. I've read good and bad reviews for Debbie Flint's novels and it is the same with any book. But if her books are selling, then people are buying and that's fair enough. You don't like it, don't read it!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

True reviews or "manufacture" reviews? No quite the same thing IMO

 

[shopperholic]

I reckon a good few books come from real life knowledge or experience. I remember one female crime author being interviewed and she said she had spoken to criminals etc. to get background etc. There are so many books out there and a lot of authors have ditched their day job to concentrate on writing. But if Debie Flint can write and do her tv work as well, good luck to her. I've downloaded not-so-good books before but I've also read good stories. There is clearly a market for chick-lit, after all it is a genre all of its own. You either like it or you don't. I've read good and bad reviews for Debbie Flint's novels and it is the same with any book. But if her books are selling, then people are buying and that's fair enough. You don't like it, don't read it!

Thanks for that thoughtful insight, even though her slutty "novels" are as cheap as chips...........I don't buy them and I certainly don't read them.

 

[Miss Ellie]

True reviews or "manufacture" reviews? No quite the same thing IMO

I wouldn't dream of saying that; I trust what I read but then I'm not looking for something I can discount as false. Do you have evidence there are 'manufactured' reviews? Certainly there are 'verified Amazon' people reviewing......... In any case, does it matter? I've got more things to worry about than book reviews .....