Sunday, 24 April 2016

BEIGE!


 After attending the "Meet the Agent" lecture with Carole Blake at the Chiplit Festival. I now know that apparently I have been doing it all wrong.
I have a silly e.mail address, madmoll.
I called my e.mail after one of my heroines, "Mad Moll" Newcastle, who broke all the rules of the 17th Century by becoming a writer, marrying for love, and being the first female member of the Royal Society.
So I now I also have MargaretEvansAuthor@gmail.com.

I write different genres.
Also wrong - I love history - so I write what I know about and have researched.
I write Murder Mysteries set in a big country house. Again, I have worked in Upton House, Waddesdon Manor, and the BBC at TVC and BH, so have met a great variety of people and
use their characters and some of the settings in my books.  Trying to write again about what I know.

I have also written a short story about my now grown up son's imaginary friend. It's a story of childhood, loss and demeption, aimed at the 20s -30s Y generation. Called Bebber Nuggins and the Brandyfloss thief.  Wrong again.

I also had my husband design the book covers for me - which was again wrong. 
Even though he works for Abbadon books designing the Hawkwood and the Kings series.
I actually upset Carole over this, I showed her my book and she said the cover looked like a self published book because it was unprofessional.  So I told her my husband was a professional designer.

She's a tough lady, and my husband who was there, a man of few words, said you don't have to justify my work.  I ended up apologising to Carole as I had defended his work rather vociferiously.

So now I have done something else wrong - Carole said not to over explain things.  So I apologise for that.  
 
So I now understand why JK Rowling wrote her non Harry Potters under a pseudonym.
Why Charlotte Bronte did the same with her books.   
 
It's a bit like Cartier making baked beans, ok so they may be the best baked beans in the world, but that's not what Cartier is known for.
 
My husband said I shouldn't say too much, write too much, argue too much. 
 
That's not who I am, I'm a heart on my sleeve type of person, not quiet, taciturn and shy like him. I spent years hiding my light under a bushel, making others look good while holding myself back.  I've been there done that, and I'm NOT going to do that again.

Apparently Carole believes blogging is a good thing.  
 
Nice to know I'm doing something right.

Do I stop being who I am?  No, it's not going to happen.  I have a limited time on this Earth and I'm going to write what the hell I like.  I'm not M&S or a Brand of some kind.   I'm a person, an individual, and I've fought hard to get to this place.

No way am I going to be BEIGE!




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