Blog Entries

Lucy Springer Gets Even: The virtual tour!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Hi All,

This month Lucy Springer Gets Even is doing a virtual tour with http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/.

Why Lucy?

Well, all the blog spots, with the exception of Fleur McDonald's, are based in the States and Lucy Springer Gets Even is available in the States via http://www.amazon.com/.

I haven't done anything like this before so thought it would be interesting to give it a shot.

It required quite a bit of prep work in June - writing blogs, answering questionnaire [...]

Welcome Kylie Ladd!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I am thrilled to have my very good friend and writer extraordinaire, Kylie Ladd, guest blogging this week all about her brilliant debut novel, After The Fall (ATF), which is being released in the US and Canada TODAY!!

A gripping insight into the anatomy of an affair, The Sydney Morning Herald called ATF "a subtle, moving and perceptive story of love, loss and hope."

I was totally enthralled with After The Fall from the very first page and was not surprised when Kylie told m [...]

Editing, etc Part B

lheidke@bigpond.com — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

You've been hanging out for this one haven't you? Sadly, I think all my gems were handed out in Part A.

As you know, at the beginning of last week I ran away - not because I couldn't stand my family but because when I'm this close to handing in a manuscript I need to devote huge chunks of time to it...like sixteen hours a day. Not sixteen writing hours, just sixteen thinking, mulling, scratching hours. Thankfully, I have an accommodating husband.

To set the scene, here's a p [...]

Editing, re-writing, and staying sane - Part A*

lheidke@bigpond.com — Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

So, what have I been doing since the London Book Fair? Trying to whip a manuscript into shape, that's what. It's due at Allen & Unwin on May 31. (Actually, my contract stated May 15, but after appropriate weeping, this has been amended until the end of the month.)

Despite requesting an extra two weeks, I wasn't overly daunted - in the beginning. I'd written the 85,000 words, had what I thought was a damn good plot, great characters, and a few amusing lines, so I was confident the ma [...]

What I learnt at the London Book Fair!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Despite 900 exhibitors being unable to attend because of Icelandic ash, and the stands more often than not resembling ghost towns, the fair was well attended by mainsteam leading publishers such as HarperCollins and Penguin as well as controversial ones like L Ron Hubbard (interesting, the times I walked past the stand it was full to capacity. No, Tom Cruise wasn't in attendance) as well as agents negotiating mega deals in hushed tones.

I attended as an eager bystander, keen to snout ou [...]

Books that changed me...

lheidke@bigpond.com — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

It's hard narrowing it down to a few books and I'm sure if I really thought about it, I could come up with many because they remind me of being a particular age, they remind me of a friend, an event... But for now, these are my chosen few:

Enid Blyton. The Magic Faraway Tree

This is the first book I remember mum reading to me. I must have been all of four-years-old. I couldn't wait for her to read the next exciting chapter about Dick and Fanny, the Angry Pixie and Moonface. Loved [...]

Writing through the BLAH!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I have written blogs on this topic before but surprisingly haven't posted any of them on my own website - I'm talking about writer's block, not that I believe in such a thing, so let's call it writer's BLAH!

I have to say it's been a shirty couple of weeks, writing wise...and I am at a loss as to say why. Okay, so I had a leg wax earlier in the week but I haven't been sick, my kids are healthy, the cat loves me...there have been no significant traumas in my life apart from the day-to-da [...]

Welcome to guest blogger Fleur McDonald!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

It's a huge pleasure this week to have my friend Fleur McDonald, as my guest blogger to tell us a bit about her books and writing process. Fleur is a full time farmer, mother and writer extraordinaire, living near Esperance in Western Australia.

Welcome Fleur! Your second book, Blue Skies is about to be released. Congratulations. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Thanks for having me here, Lisa! Blue Skies is due out on the 1st of April. It tells the story of Amanda Greenfield [...]

And you thought your rejection letter was bad...

lheidke@bigpond.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Now that I'm published I could say that Lucy Springer Gets Even and What Kate did Next were easy to write and easy to get published, but I would be lying!

For both books, there were too many drafts to count, many tears and many times I wanted to give up. Writing is a solitary pursuit and when no-one is encouraging you or interested in what you're writing it's easy to feel despondent/suicidal/angry or insulted, depending on your mood.

For years, I'd send manuscripts or partials [...]

Is it Chick-lit?

lheidke@bigpond.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Recently, I was asked whether my books fell into the chick-lit category and what my thoughts were on that genre:

I've heard my books called contemporary women's fiction, chick-lit and hen-lit. To tell you the truth, I really don't mind what people call them as long as they're reading my books!

I guess chick-lit is instantly recognisable and suggests that my books, Lucy Springer Gets Even and What Kate did Next will be holiday reads. And that's fine by me.

Word Counts!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I recently attended a fascinating talk by international best-selling author William McCall Smith (the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, amongst countless others) where he said he wrote 1000 words per hour and rarely re-wrote afterwards. He said that when writing he goes in to a ‘trance-like state' and the words naturally flow!

Hello! I sat open-mouthed listening to him, my feelings a mix of shock, envy and admiration. One thousand words an hour, that's one hundred words every [...]

A debate about Kate!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

First up, What Kate did Next has been getting some great feedback. The Courier Mail in Brisbane said, ‘full marks to Heidke for eking out a whimsical tale without the sting.' ABC Radio compared it to the movie It's Complicated and said that Kate's was a ‘comical journey (about) finding herself back to the workforce and to a place of some independence amid the chaos of her life'. And The West Australian said that ‘Heidke's witty sophomore effort proves she's got th [...]

A final word on Nanowrimo!

lheidke@bigpond.com — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

December 16

A final word about nanowrimo! I've had friends and readers ask me about the mechanics of nanowrimo. Did I start with an idea, begin writing the first sentence and go from there?

The short answer is yes. I started with day one, scene one, and wrote from that point, not having a clue which characters would pop up or how their circumstances would change, evolve or disintegrate. That's the way I usually start.

At 50,000 words (I haven't written anymore!) I'm only tw [...]

5 December

lheidke@bigpond.com — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100

5 December

Still on Nanowrimo!

I'm so glad I entered the competition and would encourage anyone who has the time and inclination to enter next year, but yes, it was hard going at times!

So what have I learnt from the experience?

1. I don't need to cast aside huge blocks of time to write. I've always belived that I needed at least two interrupted hours to write so that my scenes would flow. No so! When I was doing nanowrimo, I'd write wh [...]

Nov 30

lheidke@bigpond.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

30 November

NaNoWriMo is officially over - for me anyway!

I clocked in at over 51,000 words and have a winner's certificate to prove it.

For me, NaNoWriMo's been a great way to finish off the writing year. At times, I really had to push myself to get the words written (there were plenty of days when I didn't feel like it at all!) but I stuck with it and am so glad I did. Not only do I have 50,000 words of (hopefully) a new manuscript but I know I definitely [...]

November Posts!

lheidke@bigpond.net.au — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

NOVEMBER BLOGS

27 November

Apologies for lack of blogs: have been updating my website which I must say is looking good!

I’ve added the front cover and a blurb about my new book, What Kate did Next, which will be in-store late December.

I’ve also added a new writing article: Finding Your Voice in the First Novel, which can also be found in the December issue of RWA’s Heart’s Talk.

Now then, about nanowrimo: I am at 48,000 words. YAY! It’s b [...]

Lisa's August blogs etc

lheidke@bigpond.net.au — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Thursday August 27

Are you ready to polish your manuscript for publication? Well, if ever you've needed an excuse to escape to Bali, this is it! Be warned! The following is a blatant plug and I wish I'd thought of it myself!

Friends of mine are running an editing and writing course in...wait for it...Bali. Yes, Bali, at the Tama Sari Reso [...]