To Blog Or Not To Blog?

I haven't blogged for ages. I have had an excuse. So far 2013 hasn't gone according to plan. For the first three months of this year, writing was the last thing on my mind. I have now gone back to it with gusto, but I got to thinking about blogs. Should I bother?

Before the crises of the year (hereinafter known as COY), I had a merry old time on Google Reader (why did they stop it?), going down the list of blog posts from all the people I subscribe to, and then going on to discover new blogs from their blogs. I've had a laugh, I've learned some invaluable lessons, I've sympathised, empathised, and downright disagreed. But blog reading was a fine sport, and so was blog writing.

Back from the COY, my Google Reader had hundreds upon hundreds of posts. I couldn't read them all. I didn't know where to begin. So I marked all as read and decided to start anew. And then I didn't. I've read a few, commented on a few, but I haven't retained my sense of joy and of longing that I used to when I opened the reader (hereby replaced by Feedly, which looks good but the posts are piling up). So I got to thinking. Why do I read blog posts? Why do I write blog posts?

Firstly, reading. Why do I read blog posts? It depends. Sometimes I just want to have a laugh. Sometimes I just want to be reassured that I Am Not Alone. There have been some fine 'day in the life' posts recently from Author Allsorts, which are well worth a read. Sometimes I want to learn, and there are some very good blogs out there which help with research and ideas. Try Essie Fox's The Virtual Victorian, and Lee Jackson's Victorian London. Even if you don't want the research, they make for fantastic reading. When I'm writing, any tips are always gratefully received, and there is a wealth of knowledge out there in the world of bloggery. Recent posts by Vanessa Harbour and Nicky Schmidt are fine examples.

So, writing. Why do I blog? This is more difficult to answer. As a writer, albeit unpublished, I feel I ought to. It goes with the territory. I think blogging as a published writer is a different kettle of fish. Then there is more purpose - selling books, ultimately. For me, then? I guess it's a way of reaching out. The writing community is such a friendly one. Other writers understand why I talk to myself, why I can sit for ages looking at a blank screen, why I can block out the entire world when I'm, as they say, in the flow. It's the water cooler thing. It's saying something and knowing there are others out there who will get it. It's being part of something.

By writing this, then, I've answered my own question. Blogging is a Good Thing. I will blog and I will read blogs. Right then, where's Feedly?

The SCBWI Conference from the Other Side of the Fence

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend the SCBWI British Isles annual conference in Winchester. It was the first time I had not attended as a volunteer and I was expecting the grass on the other side to be very green. I didn't have to know what was going on everywhere! I didn't have to worry about sessions running over, people getting lost, speakers not speaking. I could do whatever I wanted, go wherever I wanted, and cultivate an air of blissful ignorance if I so desired. Of course I did all of those things but I did, on occasion, feel just a tiny sense of loss for not being part of the "team". But, above all, it made me appreciate just how much work our fantastic volunteers do, often in the face of adversity! So, yay for the conference team! And a HUGE thank you to them too.

So to the weekend. I met Liz de Jager at Waterloo at a stupidly early time but we finally regained the power of speech and were quite lively by the time we arrived at the campus. Celia Rees's excellent keynote speech set the tone for a weekend of wonder. Her books are really compelling. She manages to transport you into her world with enviable ease. Feeling buoyed up, I excitedly sat in the auditorium for her session with Sarah Odedina of the splendid (oh how I love them) Hot Key Books. And I was not disappointed. For they talked of historical fiction with such love and enthusiasm, I realised that I probably wasn't barking up the wrong tree with my new Victorian thriller. I scribbled down their words of wisdom.

When writing historical fiction, the writer must have a real world for their story, and their characters must show the same emotions and drive as in contemporary fiction - just in an historical setting. So, there should be no sense of remoteness. The writer should re-interpret their research for the reader without overdoing it. Description can take you away from the narrative. And this really stood out (we all need to pin it over our desks): Every author has the right to write the book they want to write. Thank you!

The rest of the day was all panels (of which no room here, but they were brilliantly informative) and book sales and, of course, the awe inspiring Debi Gliori's keynote speech. Oh my goodness, the woman is a genius. She talked about her illustrating life, she told us a story, she almost cried, we almost cried (as one) and we gazed, open-mouthed at her heart-breakingly beautiful illustrations.

Then, of course, we had the party, which was all excellent cake and a huge crowd of amazing SCBWI authors and illustrators, as we celebrated their publications over the past year. We talked and applauded and were proud. There was also the fabulously entertaining Lin Oliver, co-founder of SCBWI, who hosted the party and made us all laugh. She also ran a session earlier in the day on writing humour, which everyone who attended raved about. Oh to be in two, three, four places at once! And I finally, after all these years, met the lovely Vanessa Harbour!

So, Sunday. I loved Sunday. This is the first year the conference team have given a whole day to intensive sessions and every single person I spoke to agreed that this was a fine thing indeed. I was lucky enough to take Sara Grant's 'Finding the Plot' and, boy did we find it! This marvellous woman is not only a great editor and a very fine writer, but she knows everything! AND she won the Crystal Kite award for her excellent novel Dark Parties (buy it!), which she truly deserved. So, back to the session. We all had our novels in various forms, from scraps of ideas either in our heads or on the page (Moleskine in my case), through to finished drafts. First of all we were given a sheet (Sara loves a handout!) which I will use for every novel I will ever write. We had to write down the heart of our story, the premise (I really struggled with this), the controlling idea, the theme, the pitch (in my case - Oliver Twist meets The Godfather!), and then more about the characters - basically the who, what, why, where etc etc. I have to say that single page has absolutely unlocked the key to my story. It was truly a lightbulb moment for me.

After lunch (there was cake), we had another handout, this time with a graph! We mapped out our stories and then talked about suspense, tension and the general structure of the story. We then split into groups (I was dreading this, but it was fantastic) and were each given 15 minutes to talk about our plots, and their problems, and then brainstorm. I was paired with the marvellous Addy Farmer who gave me an idea that has transformed the story and given my protagonist real motivation. So thank you Addy!

As well as telling us what to do and how to do it, Sara talked about her own journey to publication which was truly inspiring. She really is a gem. If you get a chance to go to any of her workshops, then do it!

Buzzing with ideas we then drifted off for the closing remarks and then we all trooped home, heads and hearts full but happy.

And the grass? Actually, it's pretty damned green on both sides! I can't wait for next year.