Monday 8 February 2010

It couldn't happen to a nicer Guy...

...Saville, that is.

His book The Afrika Reich has finally found a publisher. (Thanks to Welshcake for the info!)

Let me start from the beginning.

In 2006, I took my first tentative steps at writing stories. I wasn't the most confident of writers, my personal life was to put it mildly going up the creek without so much as a paddle, a banana cake and a flask of "tea" but by all the gods and goddesses, I had a dream.

And the dream was this. I wanted to write stories that people would actually enjoy.

Alone (you can be truly alone even in coupledom as I was then) miserable and insecure, I took an almighty step and a leap of faith and placed one of my stories up on a peer-review site.

A site for sore eyes. A site where strangers can read your stories and tear them apart like feral cats do with fresh meat. Well actually people there were quite nice but if they didn't like your story, then the buzzer got pressed, the hatch opened and down you went.

Guy Saville came along and read my story. Then he wrote a 6 A4 double-sided page critique. It was full of encouragement for my writing, grammatical and spelling checks but most of all, most important of all, proper constructive criticism. As in,
this bit might work better if you perhaps would try and do this instead and here are my reasons why I'm suggesting this...
(not his actual words - but you get the gist).

You could only imagine the impact such careful and considered feedback had on me and my self-esteem.

And he didn't stop there but throughout the years has been a sort of online mentor to me and to many other writers.

He really was like the male version of the wonderful and fabulous Nicola Morgan without the blog.

And all the while struggling to get his novel published - getting rave rejections and I think at one point he threatened to flush his beloved Afrika Reich down the toilet!

So congratulations to Guy!

I noticed on his brand spanking new site that there's gonna be a blog.

Finally.

:-)

20 comments:

Karen Jones Gowen said...

What a wonderful post, and congratulations to your friend. I like positive stories like this. Especially about people who are generous and helpful and kind, as it sounds like this man is. Now I'm going to go check out his blog.

Drifter said...

Lovely post, Old K. That's exactly why a lot of people think so much of him.

I wonder if he's reading this and blushing?!

Old Kitty said...

Hi KarenG

Aww, thank you!

And it's also because of people like you with your really helpful blog and your encouragement that make all the difference to someone like me!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Welshcake

Oh I hope so! LOL!!

That would really be fun wouldn't it?! LOL!

Take care
x

Kea said...

How wonderful! Congratulations to him, Old Kitty. It's truly fantastic to have achieved a dream. And I'm glad you have such a terrific mentor--that can make all the difference in the world.

Have a lovely day!

Theresa Milstein said...

Encouragement is everything for us lonely writers. I'm glad he took the time to give you hope, and now that he's doing well.

I began writing in 2006 too. It looks like you're well on your way.

Ann said...

Just wonderful you found such a generous mentor. I am delighted his work will be published. Checked out his site and will keep a look out for the coming blog.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

What a wonderful dream come true for your online mentor! I read the first chapter of his book on the web site and I found it fascinating. I wish him the best of luck with the book!

I also wish you luck Old Kitty! Pursue your dream and make it a reality and in the meantime enjoy the process. I am always in awe of good writers...it is definitely not a talent that I possess.

Actually a well know author contacted me by e-mail once and told me my blog was a wonderful wealth of information for writers looking for NYC location descriptions. It was because of my photos, of course, but I was thrilled!

One never knows who reads our blog!

Old Kitty said...

Hi Kim

Thanks!

And I hope you have heating on your bus home today!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Theresa Milstein

And so are you!

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Pat@Mille Fiori Favoriti

That's fantastic! Wow.

Your blog really brings home New York to me - I could smell, taste, live in it when I look at your pics.

So thank you!

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Ann

I'm just happy it's happened to a really nice person.

Our turn next! LOL!

:-)

Take care

x

Stacy said...

That's wonderful! Congrats to you both.

Jenny Woolf said...

I'm glad you found the bit on my blog about Guy too, I can't put the link up here cause your settings don't allow urls. But Kitty, you write VERY readably! And although some of it must be because of help from Guy, some of it is also because you're an interesting writer. I sometimes wonder if that can really be learned - it's also a gift.

And yes, folks, go and read the first chapter of Guy's novel and see if you don't want to rush and buy it. I seem to remember he had written another one too and that was equally good although entirely different.

Old Kitty said...

Hi Stacy

Aw Thank you!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Jenny Woolf

Thanks so much for your kind words about my writing!

Now lemme fix those settings! Sorry about that.

And yes, people do have a taster of Guy's book on his site - it's a hell of a first chapter.

And I think his other novel had Alice in the title? If only he'd hurry up and get his blog up and running!

:-)

Take care
x

TARguy said...

Hey Old Kitty

Thanks for your lovely posting. I was really rather touched by it… and as I mentioned on Welshcake’s blog a little bit worried too because my nice guy image will be ruined when TAR – all skulls, violence and Nazis – is published! What will people think of me?

Hope your own writing continues to make waves and look forward to you commenting on my blog too… though not yet. It won’t be up and running for a while (I’ve got something a bit unusual in mind).

Hope your grumpy cat is well.

G xx

PS – blushing? Well, maybe just a bit… ;-)
PPS – you’ll also see my avatar has finally been updated to include a big, fat K

Old Kitty said...

Hi Guy!

A new type of blog... how exciting!

i can't wait!!!! and your avatar's all changed and it's all happening for you. hooray!

as for your image - LOL! oh well - it's all done in the best possible taste, i'm sure!

Grumpy cat is at the moment hogging my lap...

Take care and GOOD LUCK with being all published - very, very excited for you!!!!!!

Take care
x

TARguy said...

Well, not new... just different!

And there'll be yet another new avatar in the coming months when Hodder change the front cover (see Lexi's blog for more).

Hope you manage to get the cat off you lap in the end. My little Miss M is currently snoring like a donkey!

xx

Old Kitty said...

Donkeys snore?

Well I never!

:-)

Take care
x