Monday, February 20, 2006

Thorn in the Flesh Report Day

Interesting day at work - spent the morning on a rather good team-building/relationship event, just with our small Central Team. Certainly made me think. There wasn't enough time to get through all we should have done, so we're intending to do more tomorrow and next week. Self-awareness here we come!

A poetry friend popped round to take a copy of my poems which were in Envoi magazine to her poetry group. Promised to take her to lunch later on - if only we can find a jointly-free day.

Today's difficult news - the report from The Literary Consultancy (http://www.literaryconsultancy.co.uk) came back on "Thorn in the Flesh". Seemed to be far more negative points raised than good ones. As ever, I need more specific descriptive detail - which is always the case with me - but the editor didn't like my central scene of violence, nor my main character's reaction to it. It's always upsetting when these major issues are raised, particularly when the one doing the raising doesn't seem sympathetic to the rest of the novel either. Perhaps I'll downplay that scene, and make it more mental than physical. We'll see. I've bounced back from worse criticisms, and to a better novel in the end too ...

Have now got the logos to put on the cover/spine of "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice", and have sent the final corrected version off to the Goldenford Directors (http://www.goldenford.co.uk), so maybe not a complete pig of a day then. Maybe. Still, all ruddy depressing.

Have just finished Ken Bruen's crime novel, "Priest". Some good dark humour, a very powerful and sad ending, and the main character is very strong, but it's perhaps a little too unremittingly dark, even for me.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com

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