I can't quite even believe I am writing these words but here goes (deep breath): my first short story collection is going to be published in 2008.
There it is.
The amazing short-story-loving folk at Salt Publishing have been so astonishingly kind as to add me to their Authors' list. I found out last week and went into shock. How do you react when something you've wanted for 30 years, almost since you learned to write, is suddenly offered to you? Numbness. That's the first reaction. Then a grin which takes over your face for hours. A line that keeps going round and round in your head "My first short story collection..." "My first book..."
On the 'plane back from England on Monday, I watched the film Miss Potter, and when Beatrix Potter sees her first book in the bookshop, a little display of just her book, I cried. I guess I am a little emotional right now. But that's ok. This is an emotional event. I am telling people slowly. How to say it? "I have news..." and they'll think I'm pregnant. Well this is definitely a sort of birth.
In writing terms, it seems to have changed everything for me. I feel as though I have been shown the ladder and allowed to step onto the first rung. I stopped working as a journalist about 8 months ago, and I started telling people that I am a writer. I took myself seriously, so others, it seem, are taking me seriously. And what does a writer do? A writer writes. And a writer publishes. I'm going to have a book! I'M GOING TO HAVE A BOOK!
Ok, back to earth. This also seems to have removed an enormous weight from my shoulders that I didn't realise was there. I am breathing out. I can do this thing. I think that was the weight. Can I? Can't I? And now that's gone. I can do it. I am doing it.
This also allows me to put a whole pile of stories (around 25 short and extremely short stories) into one collection and mark them as "done", so I can move forward to my next work. Next work?? Hmmm. I already have a few stories that I am working on. I guess I will just carry on. I have some ideas, have two films scripts to be tackling, and my short play. So I'll be getting on with it.
That's all for now. I'm still grinning. OK, back to work.
8 comments:
Dear T
I will never forget sitting in the gallery at Anam Cara one day last week while you checked your emails. I think we were going to 'do a bit of writing' or something...and your face was a picture. Disbelief... as if you let yourself smile the wonderful news would vanish.
Oh how I recognise that feeling!
And the rest is history.
Many many congratulations, it will be a very special collection, quite unlike anything else. And it will chime with so much going on in the world today. And it will do very very well.
Walk on up that White Road, you're going to be a household name, friend.
much love, to you and James
and congratulations again.
Vanessa
Thank you so much, Vanessa. It means so much to me that you were there when I heard the news, and that we're going through this amazing experience together, our collections will be sitting on bookshelves almost side by side (you get in there first... only by one letter!). I can't wait!
T
Wonderful news, Tania - many, many congratulations!!! You (and your writing) really deserve this.
love Frances
Congratulations! That's thrilling news.
Woohoo! Can we go out for some celebratory cake???
Great, great news! Congratulations Tania.
thanks so much, Frances, Clare, Tafka PP and Kay. And yes - celebratory cake-eating is in order!
Tania
Congratulations. You've written about it so well, I can share your excitement. Well done.
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