[alison]

Before you give up your procrastinating and rush back to find THE END, can you tell us about your road to publication with the Pellinor series? Did you write the first, then do the rounds in Australia first? Did you win interest with your poetry or some award? Do you have a long and painful JK Rowling tale for us? That kind of thing?[/SIZE]

Hi Rocket - my publication tale is embarassingly simple, especially given friends of mine and others who so deserve publication and struggle so hard. It helped a lot already being known as a writer, even in such a different field. Basically, when I started writing The Gift, and had written (in secret, wondering what the hell I was doing) about 80 pages, I wondered if anyone would be interested. I hadn't kept up with fantasy for years, though I read heaps when I was younger, so I wasn't sure if anybody read it any more - (this was pre Peter Jackson days, guys, so forgive my ignorance - I've been trying to catch up ever since). Anyway, Penguin published my first book of poems so I knew someone there, and I rang them and asked if they would give me some advice on this thing I was writing, and they said, sure, send it in. And a month later I was offered a contract, which I had not expected.

Which was great, apart from the fact that I signed the thing without getting an agent first. (Agents, quite rightly, aren't interested in poets.) And I sorely regret that. Walker and Candlewick picked it up basically because one person there read it and liked it. And I'm really grateful for that. Again, chance. So I didn't pay my dues tramping through the corridors of indifferent publishers, though I do wonder, speaking of that, what happened to the careers of all those editors who turned down Harry Potter because kids wouldn't be interested...

And yes, I know I've been incredibly lucky. I probably wouldn't have written it if I hadn't known it was going to be published - I have lots of other writing I can do for no money!

[alison]

Pehaps I can turn exhaustion into inspiration. hmmm.

You know, sometimes I write well when I'm exhausted. It can give you a strange clarity. Just depends _how_ exhausted...

[JRMurdock]

I just wrote 2 short stories (both just over 500 words).

I wrote one for the writing forum where the topic for the story should be 'FATIGUE' so I thought it approprite I was tired. I was also in a silly mood. I was looking over at Ralan and found a short story anthology looking for 'Attack of the Radioactive Monkey' and wrote a 500 word short for that one. It's short and silly which is what they were looking for. :)

Guess I turned my exhaustion into inspiration. ;)

I see you're posting all over the forum. Writing is writing, I say. As long as you're getting words out, you're keeping yourself in fit wordwise.

[alison]

Hey maus, that's good going!

As for me, tomorrow's Monday and I'll have to stop being so delinquent, despite it all being so enjoyable here. (I take weekends off these days - I never used to, which is one of the disadvantages of working at home. Diminishing returns, I found - a girl's gotta know her limitations). Back to my poor hero, who is having a very grim time, and thinking wimpily that I don't want to go there...

[Radthorne]

Hurry back. We'll talk about yo- I mean, we'll miss you while you're gone! :D

[Rocket Sheep]

It's too hard to get an agent until you start to market overseas. Agents here can't make enough so only take on big names. Your mistake was probably not getting contract advice before signing. But how lucky was it to be offered a contract so early? You must've really impressed them with your poetry and your story.

Two of the writers I went thru Clarion with got picked up by agents in the US. I'm still waiting for THAT call... (it'll be a long wait).

[alison]

Yes, lucky indeed. In my naivety, I didn't realise how lucky until a good bit later... still waiting for the bestseller bigtime stuff tho, so I can buy my yacht and rub shoulders with Eurotrash barons and such.

To be honest, though, all my poetry did was mean that they recognised my name. It wasn't like they read it anything - nor would I expect them to - there's a very few who are familiar with all the strands of my work, but on the whole, they're very different audiences.

[Tari]

Hey. i was wondeing where you guy's are from? what country's and stuff like that. i'm also curious to what you all write? :)

[alison]

Hi Tari - I'm from Australia, like Rocket Sheep. As far as my books go, I've got some info under the "books" thread in this forum, and I think most of the other authors do as well. Rocket Sheep has an excllent website with info as well.

[Tari]

hey alison, i'm pretty sure i've read some of your work. and i did read your other threads under books. i'll have to check out Rocket Sheeps website. so has everyone here already had pieces published or am i the only one who hasn't? also one more question: how do you manage to finish your writing? i never manage to finish mine. i dont know my friends think it's the way i go about doing it but i'm not sure. i usually get a protagonist who is already formed walk into my head and a basic plot line and make it up form there but the plot line never finishes. it gets so frustrating.