Synopsis for Kangaroo Land

I've written the dreaded synopsis and will leave it a week and read it again.  The updated version of Kangaroo Land is updated on my web thanks to Jimmy Boy at Milk Design, and I am saving hard to send to Hilary Johnson's Advisory Service once and for all! Feel more confident to send now! Must start printing off...

Also have had some good reviews on Authonomy ... must get back on there though.

Harper Collins Authonomy

Okay, have added three new chapters to Harper Collins website for new writers.  But to climb the ladder and reach the Editor's desk we have to be added to a Bookshelf ...the book, not the author! I'm at zero because I updated chapters...

So, if bored, fancy reading a couple of paragraphs while the kettle boils, then comment (optional), feel free to nip over to Authonomy.

1:  go to http://www.authonomy.com/
2:  register (sorry but you need never return!)
3:  go to Search (top right on Home Page) and type in Kangaroo Land
4:  scroll down and you'll see the book cover with all things Aussie. (Oh the starlet featured in this light-hearted, comical, read me if-stuck-for-a-published-book-to-read, is Hope, with co-stars Polly Pecker, Fake Jane, Sex Mad Janet)
5:  click on said book cover
6: chose option such as Read the Book, Comment etc etc. If you think it's any good, then Back the Book (but only if you think it okay).

Thank you in advance,

From a budding author

The Book & Tabbing

Absolutely fab of GP to print a copy of Kangaroo Land in book form.  Considering I printed off the manuscript to proof read I didn't catch all the errors.  It was like being in a candy store searching out delights ... only in my case errors in book form, lol.  Found lots. 

So read the book, noted the errors, changed the errors, all in 2-days ...

As per Pete, doing correct-indent-tabbing .. am on page 118 and still tabbing. So inbetween lunch with the girls (http://www.lipstickandhandbags.blogspot.com/ ... well, Walpole has NO PUB so I set up a women's group) Spring clean, I am gonna finish tabbing!!!  Tabitha, the wife of said GP Man Pete, said add my pic to the book.  She suggested the black and white one.  In reality, this one I am freezing my bottom off on a windy day on a Winterton day.  Windy as in the weather not my bottom.

Okay, off to indent ...

Err, coffee first ...

GP Print & Kangaroo Land

Laid beside me is Kanagroo Land in book form, whoop whoop!!!  I feel like a fully fledged author-in-print, a bestseller climbing the ranks, TV, radio, book signings lined up ... 

Okay, back to reality....

Still working the streets with Avon, accruing ££££££, with plans to start a pot towards sending Kangaroo Land to Hilary Johnson's Advisory Service...

Kangaroo Land Blurb (Travelogue)

Hope quits England and with an oversized backpack heads to Sydney.  Unfortunately her initial stay is with hip-swinging Tatum, who has unique capabilities of transforming herself into the most irritating, whining person ever.

Keen to experience the flamboyant, outrageous gay side of life, Hope takes on the role of fake-lesbian.  Her purpose is to gain entry into the famous Mardi Gras party.  The party is an eye-opener: gorgeous men wearing hardly a thing, drugs, chatted up by a lesbian, and drag queens with the best legs ever.

She visits Ten Pound Poms, as history named the Brits who left England’s wet climate for Australia’s barren land.  This period is emotionally touching when the families proudly show off their adopted country and make her welcome into their lives.

Eventually she begins her true purpose – to backpack Australia.  It entails sleeping rough, choosing the worse hostels ever, meeting bed-hopping bus drivers, and being pulled by an Aborigine.  Her travelling-life becomes intertwined with folk from across the world:  Fake Jane, Sex Mad Janet, The Mental Gang, doped-up-to-the-eyeballs Polly Pecker, heart-throb Lazarro and backpacking Tallullah, who believes bonking the driver means certain privileges. 

It becomes a trip Hope never forgets.

A Bit of This and a Bit of That!

I completed the deadline for Kangaroo Land.. You know, the April 30 one. BUT, received competition feedback from UK Authors which mentioned duplicated words and thought best to go through the ENTIRE book and check them out.  Remarkable how many there are.

Oh, bizarrely, printing a manuscript off is better when editing than reading from the monitor. Goodness knows why but believe me, it is.  Also requires back up ink cartridges!

Thought of entering the opening chapters into a competition run by US writing site Wow, Women ion Writing but  in the small print I read something about fees - don't want to get myself into a money-pickle.

Printed off Summersdale submission guideline and plan to submit Kanagroo Land with the email from Hazel Cushion from Accent Press who advised I try them. In short, I will!

Cinnamon Press have a comp deadline end of June for £16.  I checked as they don't seem to print travel - but Jan assured me that it's for any genre.

Might as well give it a go!

Received a super heavy weight engraved pen from Stephanie Hale (Rich Writer Poor Writer) because Kangaroo Land reached the Top 100. Whoop! Whoop!


That's all folks!

Re-Drafting

Am gradually printing and checking for repeated works in Kangaroo Land.   I really do want to get it to the stage where I can send it out once and for all - if only for more feedback and to say 'I've tried!' .   Also copying over chapters with 1.0 line spacing to give to GP Print of Peterborough to give book printing a go.

I really, really, really want to start a new book as have been on this one for too long.

That said, Avon's going well, so is my new women's group called Lipstick and Handbags!

Oxford Literary Consultancy - Kangaroo Land Shortlisted!!!!

It's amazing what good news does - I've been close to propping my eyes open with matches, drinking too much coffee, all in a bid to wake up.  And crikey, trying to write something funny in my edit of Kangaroo Land - well, it just ain't been working!

This email changed that - I suddenly feel awake, alert, and more humourous ..

Oxford Literary Consultancy Synopsis Competition:

Dear Lesley


I'm delighted to inform you that your entry has made the 'Hot 100 Shortlist' for my Writing Prize this year.

Having personally read nearly 2000 entries, I have picked out your synopsis as 'highly recommended'.

This is quite an achievement and something to be proud of.

Today, I'll be reading through the 'Hot 100 Shortlist' and picking out the top 10 winners.

I'm hoping to be able to make an announcement about the final winner later tomorrow.

Congratulations once again for making it to my final shortlist!

Warm wishes

Stephanie


Stephanie Hale International, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX3 7HR, United Kingdom

UK Authors Competition

I also entered into UK Authors Opening Chapters competition, closing date December, and paid £20 for feedback. Winners not notified and hopefully soon will receive feedback too and learn something about KL.

Andrea, who received my entry, did in fact email to ask if I wanted to enter more as I hadn't taken full advantage of the max word count. 

Too right I sent in more!

Oxford Literary Competition

Apparently LOADS of people entered the Synopsis and Opening Chapter of the competition so insteps self-doubt with Kangaroo Land ... winners notified soon ...

Watch this space!

Cinnamon Press

Reply from Cinnamon Press:

"Hi Lesley

This would be fine to enter. We look for the quality of the writing in the competitions and they are often a way of opening new areas for us.
Warm regards
Jan"

Am going to enter ... worth a try ... !

Saturday

Well, another chapter of Kangaroo Land completed this morning and it's only 9:47am!  Whoopee! Now I've set a deadline of April 30 I have something to work to.  Also decided am taking on too much so have decided to work on Kitchen Town (kids story) after April and send to kids publisher / agents / competitions after April 30 and while I'm submitting KL  in my bid to get a deal, land my book on a bookshelf, get into The Times bestseller list - oh to DREAM!

OK, should have done this before but assignment 6 isn't err, completed so am setting myself monthly deadlines for assignments too.  It's not that I am not writing Ass6 (which will use for Simon Seeks) but KL is taking up tons of time and that is what is important for me. It's my baby!

Thinking of entering it into Cinnamon Press novel competition this year .. need to read up more on what they publish though as unsure a travelogue fits in with their titles. Would they still consider it or toss it into the Competition Bin because the wrong genre?

Powder Room Graffiti article ... that's another for after April 30. 

Bloody hell, how do writers manage writing a book, articles, anything else, with a family (well, cat family for me), full time job (travelling to and from it for 1 and a half hours a day), suffering acute 40+ tiredness (meaning falling a sleep on very comfy sofa by 9pm), looking after a home (OK, The Man did the laundrey, changed the bed, hoovered this weekend) ... AND I have a November wedding to prepare (yes, I will become Mrs. H).

OK, better get changed - sitting here in a pink fluffy dressig gown and mascara stained face - may frighten the postman ...

O, PS, don't forget to subscribe to the NEWSLETTER because there'll be competitions

Kangaroo Land

Happy 1st of March ...

Let's hope for sunny weather...

Only two chapters left for Kangaroo Land!! Yippee! Eight weeks left until I send sample chapters etc etc out to agents. AND GP Print would like to have a go printing a book copy as book printing is something they'd like to go into. So Friday I was reminded to send across an electronic version, gulp.

Kangaroo Land, the Travelogue

Cover by my Mum

God, I've been writing this book forever ... mind you I did nip off to sea for two years.  I'm more and more confident with its contents and it's helped adding it to Authonomy and YWO (the odd nasty comment forgotten), plus mentioning on various Forums etc etc.   Writers Gazette (USA) and Write This Moment (UK) newsletters gave it a mention too.   


Knowing strangers have read it has been OK but dare I let folk I know read it?  Yikes.  


A brand new super dooper website (by Milk Design) will be up and running soon with this blog directly linking to it.  Reading up on HTML was all very well, but yawn, kept falling asleep for some bizarre reason.  My old salmon coloured web is still live so please ignore.  

I entered KL into recent competitions:

• UK Authors (£20 for feedback)
• Oxford Literary Consultants (One-page plus synopsis and free to enter)
• Brit Awards (yet to enter and free to Writing Magazine Subscribers, I think)

Kangaroo land is a simple little travelogue that hopefully has a giggle element to it. Something light to whittle away the hours on a flight or beach.  It's not perfect, grammar well, I've tried and have my old faithful grammar book by my side.   It'll cost at least £400 to get KL read by Hilary Johnson's Advisory Service (I know, she is good) but that's for appraisal only.  And a whole lot more to be proofed.  Sadly I have yet to win the lotto so that idea is on hold. Am going to stand tall and submit to agents and publishers.  Thinking ahead, will purchase a pretty folder for Rejection Slip Presentation, haha!


Currently getting the manuscript presentation correct ... you know, Times Roman Numeral, 12 pt, that kind of thing.  Oh, and quick edit (the zillionth one, I believe).  

                                                                   Another fabulous picture by my Mum.


Did I mention there'll be a Kangaroo Land sequel one day.  


Yep, I'm going back to OZ!