Disqus - Latest Comments for emmanewman

Re: Guest post: Angry Robot’s new signing, Emma Newman

Emma Newman — Wed, 30 May 2012 05:17:16 -0000

Thank you everyone! xx

Re: Guest post: Angry Robot’s new signing, Emma Newman

Emma Newman — Wed, 30 May 2012 05:16:46 -0000

Heh, thank you. I am still surprised. I wonder when that will stop...

Re: Announcement: New book deal with Tor!

Emma Newman — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:05:23 -0000

YAY! That's fantastic news - I always wondered what happened to Ludmila, My Love! Congratulations :)

Re: Coming to terms

Emma Newman — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:31:30 -0000

Congratulations on being short-listed! If it's any consolation, I too am horribly nervous about Eastercon. If you want to have someone to say hello to, I'm @emapocalyptic on Twitter and I'll be there all weekend. For what it's worth, I've found that regardless of how terrified I am, the people at cons are very, very lovely :)

Re: When days off are not really days off

Emma Newman — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:30:05 -0000

Ah, so you get that physical anxiety too when you don't write too? Interesting, I thought I got it as I'm prone to anxiety in general, but after reading this, I wonder if it's indeed a writerly thing, rather than a chronic thing. Hrrmmmm....

Re: Empire State cover revealed!

Emma Newman — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 06:29:04 -0000

Oooooohhhhhh. That is breathtakingly good! Beautiful, striking, says so much... love it.

Re: Liberate Your Genius Now

Emma Newman — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 10:32:29 -0000

Loved this, and so timely. When I remember to do so, I ask myself; "What about if you weren't afraid? What would you do then?"

I wrestle with anxiety, ranging from normal worry to crippling terror and this question helps me find my way back to thinking as the best part of me, rather than thinking as my fear-filled self.

Re: bringing up charlie: The Fatherhood Festival: Day Two

Emma Newman — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:15:03 -0000

Oh wow, my Dad would love that. He is a real chocolate fiend... must be genetic then ;)

Re: Award: The Versatile Blogger

Emma Newman — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:54:04 -0000

Why thank you sir, much appreciated :o) xx

Re: Her Majesty’s Mysterious Conveyance

Emma Newman — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 03:55:16 -0000

Oooh, that looks good! Can't wait to read it.

Re: The Mistranslated Mental Image

Emma Newman — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 12:12:48 -0000

Hello, I'm finally here after our conversation on Twitter...

I'm always reluctant to offer advice, as it suggests that a) I'm an expert, which I really am not and b) that there is a right and wrong way to write.

I can however share my experience of writing and maybe it'll help, though I am a firm believer in having to find our own way to the writing style that fits us best.

The pain you describe here is familiar. I struggled for years to find my "writer's voice" (a phrase I hate) and my writing stride and techniques to tackle my fears and inner censor that kept me from the page. The only thing that helped me to get anywhere with my writing was simply to write. Write - not edit! Writing like I was running down a road and not looking back, not worrying about where I'd been or what I looked like. The important thing was to keep going.

It's so tempting to go back and re-work and re-work when you're stuck in a nervous state and still finding your style. But style is something that evolves over time, over thousands and thousands of words - new words - that you can revisit a long time afterwards.

The only clue I had that my writing was approaching something half-bearable was that I could read it three months later and not want to vomit. I could read it and see where the rough spots needed sanding down, but I didn't want to die of shame. And it took years to get to that point. The only way I got there was by ignoring that inner censor, the one worrying about what people will think when they read it - even about what you will think when you read it. Just get the words down.

A book I found very helpful was 'The Artist's Way' - it has lots of exercises for you to explore the roots of blocks and fears and reconcile them.

Also, as I said on Twitter, every time I feel that fear, I say out loud "I give myself permission to write complete crap" and it really does help me. I have to do it every time I approach a first draft - and I am nearing the end of my third novel with a short story anthology under my belt too. I hope that shows that this fear is normal, and that it is possible to find a way through it.

Oh, I hope this helps! Keep at it. Maybe write a few stories and promise yourself that no-one else will see them. I'm usually lurking somewhere on Twitter if you need some support.

Em x

Re: Renegade A to Z – Brehnill

Emma Newman — Wed, 04 May 2011 06:45:02 -0000

I am clearly in need of Brehnill right now...

Re: Renegade A to Z – Angectica

Emma Newman — Mon, 02 May 2011 11:10:22 -0000

Wow, this is ambitious! I love pantheons, the way they remind me of the power of archetypes and they also appear to my coding brain-getting it all in order, you know? Looking forward to meeting the rest :)

Re: Shrink Your Steepest Hill

Emma Newman — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:53:42 -0000

That is a great piece of research gold! That's why I am so grateful for my Twitter friends - as a writer who spends hours alone with a keyboard, it's wonderful to have a group of writers and friends who are there alongside me, and we all help each other up our own hills.

My little thing today has been connecting with someone who is preparing to give a class on social media for writers, and it was a deep pleasure to be able to give her some material for her talk. And just chatting with friends on the other side of the world who are a bit blue. It all helps. It's all beautiful.

Re: News! I have an agent!

Emma Newman — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:57:38 -0000

Blimey! Congratulations - and what a great excuse for a trip to New York! (D'oh, forgot to log in to Disqus)

Re: How to behave online and build your brand (yuck!)

Emma Newman — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:19:31 -0000

I agree with everything you say here. Whenever I consider the word branding, I wrinkle my nose but I think that's because it brings to mind a table filled with hungry corporates, brainstorming words they want to be associated with in order to squeeze more money out of people. It's synonymous with falsehood as a result. But that doesn't mean it can represent something genuine too.

I agree with Icy too - far too hard to pretend to be someone else. Whenever I do anything online - be it send a tweet or put up a post, if there is a moment of doubt, I ask myself if I would say it in a pub. If the answer is no, then I delete it. That means that sometimes I post things that are intimate, that I would only share with friends, but that's okay.

Re: 10th February, 2011: The battle of the synopsis

Emma Newman — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:18:37 -0000

I have had the fortune of only having had to write one synopsis so far, and it was an awful experience. It was the other way round, having written the book already, and that was bad enough. I admire your ability to be positive about it :)

Re: How do you know what type of writer you are?

Emma Newman — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:54:46 -0000

Yes, that does make sense (I've had a cup of tea which helps). It's not something I've ever felt the need to do, but I can imagine how it would help.

One type of writing that I doubt I will ever try again is poetry. I used to write quite a lot of it when I was at school, it was all awful of course. I don't feel any connection with writing it now though. Are there any formats you actively avoid?

Re: How do you know what type of writer you are?

Emma Newman — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:16:01 -0000

This post baked my noodle a little, I must admit. It's like you've talked about writing from the opposite direction to that which I take. I've never once considered which type of writing I do, I just write and sometimes it's is a short story, or a piece of flash fiction, or a novel, or a press release or the most boring (to me) search engine optimised copy for a client.

Seeing it from the perspective of this post feels like saying "do you eat spagetti or tagliatelle" when all I would say is I eat pasta and sometimes it's shaped one way and sometimes it's shaped another way.

I'm not sure I'm expressing this very well (which for a writer is a terrible fear to have) but my brain is a little bit broken by the idea that I would find my way into a piece of writing via the format, rather than just the act of writing.

Of course, the format makes such a huge difference, it may be that it happens on such an unconscious level I've never considered it before. Writing a client's press release for seach engine linkage requires a different headspace. Writing a short story feels very different to writing a novel. This year I am having a short story anthology published and my debut novel, and they inhabit completely separate areas of my brain.

Actually, I'm just burbling now. Sorry :) I'll go and figure out why this is muddling me somewhere else!

And for what it's worth, I love that you've baked my noodle :)

Re: The heart, mind and murder test for writers

Emma Newman — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:47:06 -0000

I agree with the advice to keep the "orphans" (love that!), especially in novel writing, as sometimes the feel that it isn't working is more to do with pacing and the unfolding of the story. For me anyway.

When it comes to endings, of short stories and flashes in particular, I get a physical rush, and goosebumps all over, when I think the ending is right. It's immediate and visceral. I don't get that every time, and I don't write towards it - i.e. I know that not all stories need to elicit that response to be enjoyed by others.

At the end of the day it's such a subjective thing. Though saying that, the other day I stumbled across some doggerel I produced when climbing out of my ten year long writer's block and it was absolutely dire. I can't point at everything I write now and say "That's good" objectively, but I know deep down it's better than the crap I was writing seven years ago!

Re: Book Trailer Talks: Fave Animated Book Trailers

Emma Newman — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 08:02:24 -0000

Wow, I didn't think it could be possible, but finally I have seen a book trailer that has made me more interested in the book!

The Tell Me A Secret trailer is the one I'm talking about, and I think its captivating style goes a long way to create atmosphere and draw curiosity. I've seen so many book trailers that seem far too sickly sweet, usually with a piano background that sounds like its straight out of a Tuesday afternoon made-for-TV movie. They actively put me off both the books and book trailers themselves, which is so sad, but the one for Tell Me A Secret has opened my eyes again. Thanks!

Re: What Will Happen to Your Online Writings When You Die? - GalleyCat

Emma Newman — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 10:15:46 -0000

I wrote a story about this, you can read it on my blog: http://www.enewman.co.uk/fr...

It's clear from the comments that this has been on the mind of my readers...

Re: I Quit

Emma Newman — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 09:33:01 -0000

Sounds like it's been tough, and I admire your decision. I was hooked on WoW a few years back and its glorious technicolour world makes the real one so dull when you're really into the game. My husband and I used to joke when we saw a real life sunset "Wow, that's really well rendered."

I haven't played for years now, but the odd pang does come back occasionally. But I remember that it was a crutch more than a game, easier to face than the problems I had at the time. Welcome back to the real world. The rewards are fewer and far between, and harder to get, but they mean so much more.

Re: 10 typical questions from writers (that are really just fear in disguise)

Emma Newman — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:35:33 -0000

Thanks again guys, so pleased to see this struck a chord.

@tara - that one was inspired by a former work colleague. I speak to him every few months and he enthuses at me about this book he's going to write. Three years on and there are no words on pages. I asked him if he had writers block and he said "Oh, no, I have plenty of ideas!" hence its inclusion. I am now trying to coax him into addressing why he is so scared to write the book...

Re: Books by Friday Flash Authors

Emma Newman — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:10:08 -0000

Thanks ever so for the shout out, and seeing 'From Dark Places' on a shelf like that is smply delicious! I find self-promotion agonising, and hardly ever mention the book as over-compensation against a fear that I'll become one of *those* authors on Twitter who only ever tweet about their book, so things like this are a real help, thank you.