Taking it on the chin.

I haven't visited this blog for a while but here I am !!! I have been pondering something which I want to share with you.

Being a writer is hard, well for me it is anyway. Some people churn books out like there is no tomorrow, others, like me have to spend time to come up with ideas. Often I can think of an plot but when I start to develop it, it fades away; I think this is the characters telling me it's not their time yet !

My fourth book was called NOTE TO SELF. I made a mistake with this book. What's the best thing to do when you make a mistake? Put your hands up, admit it and move on. Well I actually made two. Firstly, the blurb on the back has a character called Kevin...well in the book he is actually called Dan. My second mistake which I didn't realise at the time was this: This book is a light hearted 'chick-lit'. I wrote this book in the first person as a women. Difficult for some men I'm sure but as I have been told a few times that I am in touch with my feminine side I found it fairly easy and fun.
My mistake came when I read the reviews for this book. I think people missed the point. It was meant to be light hearted. People's reviews, which I must say to an author are so important, seemed to be deep, picking it apart. It was meant to be a light hearted read when you're on holiday on a beach and don't want anything too deep. It talks of her mum getting a Cappuccino mixed up with Al Pachino, taking the huff so that Emily thinks she's dead and ringing the police who go screaming round.
I know people have views and as much as they're welcome, I think they missed the point. This leads me on to my next mistake. One review said as it was written by a man, this read like what a man expects a fifty year old woman to think !! Would the reviews have been so critical if I had written it under a female pen name? I don't think so.

Things are sent to teach us. Should a writer who writes in more than one genre use different writer names? Absolutely. The reviews have taught me something which I will keep in mind for next time.

Anyway back to the story board. Keep on reading and I'll keep on writing.