All this year I will be documenting the writing, editing and publishing of my fifth novel, giving you a unique, behind-the-scenes look at my life as a writer. This week, I announce the final two winners of my #getinvolved challenge, talk about edits and answer your questions!
After a completely crazy couple of weeks, the first edit on Book 5 (still awaiting a title) is done and I’ve recovered enough to be almost coherent!
So, without further ado, here is this week’s vlog – hope you like it!
Enjoy! xx
p.s. This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled, ‘Oy! Oo nicked me teef?’)
Everywhere we’ve been in San Francisco we’ve encountered two things: friendly people and dogs.
The friendly people aren’t just from California. They’re from all over the world. Some work and live here, others are visiting like we are. But everybody who has said hello and chatted to us has been upbeat and positive. I think San Francisco encourages the optimist out in you. Yesterday we met Brenda and Derek from Bournemouth on the boat trip, who were visiting San Francisco on the last leg of an 8-week round-the-world trip. We also met several friendly buskers around Fisherman’s Wharf and a bloke in Union Square who told us about Tony Bennett and took our photo for us. Today we met a very lovely Chinese man (and his dog) at the viewing point overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, who told us about his favourite places in his city. The lady at The Warming Hut (a fab cafe at the edge of Crissy Field near the bridge) asked us about Birmingham. And the busker entertaining the queue of people waiting for the cable car at Victoria Park remembered us from yesterday.
Dogs are everywhere: being walked (or carried) around Union Square, running with their jogging owners along Marina Street, playing on the beach by Crissy Field and riding the Muni trolley buses. They are all shapes and sizes and by and large are well-behaved and as friendly as their owners. San Franciscans LOVE their dogs. There’s even a ‘doggie couture’ boutique in Ghirardelli Square, selling everything your sartorially elegant pooch could possibly want!
One thing both friendly people and their dogs have in common is that you feel how happy they are to have you here. And that will be great for Book 5’s protagonist Nell Sullivan, because she visits San Francisco after being made redundant in her home city of London. After being used to the impersonality and avoidance of eye contact there, San Francisco will be the polar opposite – the difference enough to make her take a different view of herself and how she communicates with her world. I want Nell to experience a place where the best is expected for her, where she can allow herself to believe that anything is possible and where she dares to step outside of her comfort zone to discover what she’s capable of…
All this year I will be documenting the writing, editing and publishing of my fifth novel, giving you a unique, behind-the-scenes look at my life as a writer. This week, the second of your suggestions is announced for Book who has suggested the RANDOM QUIRKY OBJECT that will be appearing in Book 5 (along with their name in the acknowledgements)? And what’s so special about the diner I’ve just written…?
Thank you so much to everybody who suggested random objects for Book 5. They were so good, I chose TWO! Both objects will appear in Nell’s cousin Lizzie’s apartment in San Francisco. To recap on the story so far, when Nell Sullivan discovers she’s been made redundant (and the news delivered by her on-off boyfriend Aidan, who she thought she was getting back together with), she refuses to be brought down by the blow. Instead, she blows her redundancy cheque on a two-month adventure to the City of Lights – San Francisco, where her cousin Lizzie lives. Nell, who has always been one to play life safe and never take risks, begins to discover what incredible things can happen when you throw caution to the wind and see where life takes you…
Just before you watch the vlog to find out which two people will be featuring in Book 5, I’d just like to mention this daft thing I’m doing for this year’s Comic Relief Red Nose Day…
YES! YOU can be mentioned in an exclusive short story I’m writing for Red Nose Day 2013! Simply SPONSOR ME HERE – any amount – and I’ll mention you! It is slightly crazy because I’m going to work in everybody who sponsors me into the short story. At the moment, I’m thinking it will be a little bit like Love, Actually, where I’ll dream up several stories that work together. Please consider sponsoring me – you’ll be helping Comic Relief do their amazing work with people in the UK and Africa who desperately need our help. Thank you!
And so, without further ado, here’s this week’s vlog… Good luck, everyone!
p.s. This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled, ‘Neeeeeeya…’
All this year I will be documenting the writing, editing and publishing of my fifth novel, giving you a unique, behind-the-scenes look at my life as a writer. This week, I’ve made a huge decision about Book Five…
I debated whether or not to reveal this, but I think it’s something that will encourage you if you’re a writer (and show you how important you are if you are a reader!) Over the past two years that I’ve been filming and sharing my vlogs, I’ve always been as honest as I can about the reality of being a writer.
So find out what my writing resolution is for 2013 and hear how my search for my FutureStars is inspiring me already…
As always, I love answering your questions in my vlogs. So if there’s something you would love to know about writing, editing, publishing, my novels, or anything else, leave a comment below, or email: mirandawurdy@gmail.com, chat to me on twitter or leave me a comment on facebook. I’d love to know what you think of the first vlog of 2013 – and my big news!
Enjoy! xx
p.s. This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze frame is entitled, ‘Look at the beautiful butterfly!’
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