Today I had one of the best, and possibly the most important, reactions to Caligula so far. The proof copies have been out with literary editors for about a week and obviously their reaction is hugely important to what happens from now on in.
It's impossible not to be a little nervous about what's happening. Have they all been shoved in corners? Picked up and thrown down again in disgust?
Well I found out where one of them has been.
David Robinson, the books editor at The Scotsman, marched up the office and shook me by the hand. He'd started reading Caligula at the weekend and hadn't been able to put it down. "It's a real page turner. I thought it was brilliant. How did you do it?" And there was a lot more of the same. This from a guy who reads books for a living? It was an incredible confidence booster. David probably has more insight into what makes a book worth reading than anyone else I know and is hugely respected in the newspaper and publishing worlds. He congratulated me on achieving things in the book I hadn't even realised I'd attempted to do.
We had a long chat. He's keen to do a feature on Caligula and author, which will be great publicity. When he left I was grinning from ear to ear.
But it made me a little nervous, too. Just what is this thing I've created? Where is it going to take me? There's a sense of a great opportunity just over the horizon, but what do I have to do to grasp it?
Seven weeks today and Caligula will be in the shops.
Monday, 26 May 2008
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Countdown to Caligula
Caligula is now out there. David Robinson, the literary editor at The Scotsman, got his proof copy yesterday, which means that so has every other literary editor in the country. When he first told me, I was elated, but then the reality of all those enormously intelligent, highly educated people poring over my book with critical eyes hit me and I came over all nervous. I've read it a hundred times. I think it's good, but it's what they think that matters.
But what would be much worse than the critics not praising it, would be them ignoring it. I've worked in newspaper offices for long enough to know how many books pass over their desks every day. David has big sacks lying beside his desk, all chock full of books. I know how much effort has gone into each and every one of them, but I sometimes look at them and wonder how some ever got published. It's all too easy for someone's pride and joy to disappear into the void.
Let's hope it doesn't happen to Caligula, but only time will tell.
But what would be much worse than the critics not praising it, would be them ignoring it. I've worked in newspaper offices for long enough to know how many books pass over their desks every day. David has big sacks lying beside his desk, all chock full of books. I know how much effort has gone into each and every one of them, but I sometimes look at them and wonder how some ever got published. It's all too easy for someone's pride and joy to disappear into the void.
Let's hope it doesn't happen to Caligula, but only time will tell.
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Countdown to Caligula
Eight weeks to go and I am now officially chewing the furniture. Another ten days has gone by and not a squeak of movement on the book. Caligula is a reality, things are happening, but all I can do is sit back and watch, hypnotised by my Amazon ratings which for some bizarre reason fluctuate between 7000th and 150,000th.
My mood hasn't been helped by the fact that progress on my crime book, Brothers in Arms, is frustratingly slow. I console myself in the knowledge that proper books are supposed to be difficult beasts, full of intellectual challenges and false turns, but the truth is I'm not used to this. Normally things flow, this squirms and grows to the point where I don't know if I can control it. It's a bit like trying to nail down jelly.
On the plus side, away from the writing and the work, I've had a very enjoyable time on the social side. I spent Saturday basking in the sunshine at Jedforest rugby sevens in the Borders. In another life (when I had hair) I used to play in the back row of the scrum for Jedforest (thirds) and I had a great time meeting old friends. I've been away for a long time, but Jedburgh will always be home.
One question I've been asked is how I became so interested in history and the Romans. The answer is that you couldn't grow up in Jedburgh and not be fascinated by history because it was all around you. In my first year at primary school one of my most distinct memories is having my picture taken with the Callant, the leader of the local summer festival which is based on the activities of the Border reivers; men with bloodthirsty reputations and wonderful names like Nebless Nick Croser, Wanton Wull and Jock O' the Side. I used to pass Jedburgh Abbey (burned five times by English armies) and Mary Queen of Scots house (the only house in the town to survive Edward 1sts 'Rough Wooing') every day on the way to school. My first job when I left school was restoring a Roman fort in the Cheviot Hills that had been torn up by foresters. I remember looking up at the gap in the hills where Dere Street passes through and almost being able to see the legions marching down towards us. History and writing and rugby seem to be all part of my DNA.
Last week I gave myself a late Christmas present and booked a day's fishing on the Tweed at a place called Tweedswood - that's just this side of the Leaderfoot Viaduct in the picture. It was great, even though we didn't even slightly annoy the salmon. When you fish, you absorb the rhythm of nature - the unceasing rush of the stream, the wind in the trees and the call of the birds - and you become closer to everything around you. Some people think it's boring. For me it's the most relaxing thing on earth. I didn't realise it when I booked it, but Tweedswood is just below Melrose, and I found myself fishing a hundred yards below the amphitheatre used by the legionaries who manned the Roman fort at Trimontium which was built on the bluff above the river. History calling again.
Today I've just come back from Glasgow, where I had lunch with Bob Low, the old friend from the Daily Record who now writes Viking books. It's the first time we've met in years, but we had a great time chatting about things that only other writers would be interested in and lamenting the slow progress of publishing. Bob's a real character, a Viking to his soul, with a beard you could hide a badger in. He's just completed the third in his Oathsworn series, and has signed a deal for another two books with HarperCollins. I think he's headed for the big time.
One thing that keeps the blog going is the comments from people all over the country who are interested in what's happening with Caligula. Sometimes you wonder if you're writing for yourself, so it's great to hear from people who've taken a look. So welcome to Joe, who said hello on the last blog, and thanks to everyone else who reads this.
To answer your question, Joe, yes, I'm writing in the hope that someone will give me enough money so I can write a lot more. At the moment I write for an hour on the train, spend ten frustrating hours not writing, then write for an hour when I'm half asleep on the way home (I think I write my best stuff when I'm half asleep so don't feel sorry for me). Sure, I might eventually move somewhere nice, but I would still write. I've found something that I really love doing and that - touch wood - I'm pretty good at. I know in my heart of hearts that I won't stop writing until I'm physically incapable of hitting the right keys on a keyboard.
I even found time to write a feature on the guy who discovered Trimontium, for the Scotsman magazine. They did me proud with a four-page spread. This is the link, although it doesn't have the same impact without the pictures. http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Unearthing-a-legend.4059021.jp
Let's hope I've got more to report on the book next time
cheers
Doug
My mood hasn't been helped by the fact that progress on my crime book, Brothers in Arms, is frustratingly slow. I console myself in the knowledge that proper books are supposed to be difficult beasts, full of intellectual challenges and false turns, but the truth is I'm not used to this. Normally things flow, this squirms and grows to the point where I don't know if I can control it. It's a bit like trying to nail down jelly.
On the plus side, away from the writing and the work, I've had a very enjoyable time on the social side. I spent Saturday basking in the sunshine at Jedforest rugby sevens in the Borders. In another life (when I had hair) I used to play in the back row of the scrum for Jedforest (thirds) and I had a great time meeting old friends. I've been away for a long time, but Jedburgh will always be home.
One question I've been asked is how I became so interested in history and the Romans. The answer is that you couldn't grow up in Jedburgh and not be fascinated by history because it was all around you. In my first year at primary school one of my most distinct memories is having my picture taken with the Callant, the leader of the local summer festival which is based on the activities of the Border reivers; men with bloodthirsty reputations and wonderful names like Nebless Nick Croser, Wanton Wull and Jock O' the Side. I used to pass Jedburgh Abbey (burned five times by English armies) and Mary Queen of Scots house (the only house in the town to survive Edward 1sts 'Rough Wooing') every day on the way to school. My first job when I left school was restoring a Roman fort in the Cheviot Hills that had been torn up by foresters. I remember looking up at the gap in the hills where Dere Street passes through and almost being able to see the legions marching down towards us. History and writing and rugby seem to be all part of my DNA.
Last week I gave myself a late Christmas present and booked a day's fishing on the Tweed at a place called Tweedswood - that's just this side of the Leaderfoot Viaduct in the picture. It was great, even though we didn't even slightly annoy the salmon. When you fish, you absorb the rhythm of nature - the unceasing rush of the stream, the wind in the trees and the call of the birds - and you become closer to everything around you. Some people think it's boring. For me it's the most relaxing thing on earth. I didn't realise it when I booked it, but Tweedswood is just below Melrose, and I found myself fishing a hundred yards below the amphitheatre used by the legionaries who manned the Roman fort at Trimontium which was built on the bluff above the river. History calling again.
Today I've just come back from Glasgow, where I had lunch with Bob Low, the old friend from the Daily Record who now writes Viking books. It's the first time we've met in years, but we had a great time chatting about things that only other writers would be interested in and lamenting the slow progress of publishing. Bob's a real character, a Viking to his soul, with a beard you could hide a badger in. He's just completed the third in his Oathsworn series, and has signed a deal for another two books with HarperCollins. I think he's headed for the big time.
One thing that keeps the blog going is the comments from people all over the country who are interested in what's happening with Caligula. Sometimes you wonder if you're writing for yourself, so it's great to hear from people who've taken a look. So welcome to Joe, who said hello on the last blog, and thanks to everyone else who reads this.
To answer your question, Joe, yes, I'm writing in the hope that someone will give me enough money so I can write a lot more. At the moment I write for an hour on the train, spend ten frustrating hours not writing, then write for an hour when I'm half asleep on the way home (I think I write my best stuff when I'm half asleep so don't feel sorry for me). Sure, I might eventually move somewhere nice, but I would still write. I've found something that I really love doing and that - touch wood - I'm pretty good at. I know in my heart of hearts that I won't stop writing until I'm physically incapable of hitting the right keys on a keyboard.
I even found time to write a feature on the guy who discovered Trimontium, for the Scotsman magazine. They did me proud with a four-page spread. This is the link, although it doesn't have the same impact without the pictures. http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Unearthing-a-legend.4059021.jp
Let's hope I've got more to report on the book next time
cheers
Doug
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Countdown to Caligula
I've been a bit remiss with the blog, but my excuse is that I've been waiting for something interesting to happen and it's been pretty quiet on the book front. I suppose this blog is as much about the frustrations that face an author in the rundown to his first book as it is about the triumphs and the great leaps forward. So I have to record that, at least on the book front, my life isn't about highs and lows - more highs and lulls. So much has happened in the past few months that you just keep on expecting something good to happen every day, or at least every week, but that's not the way it works.
The one really positive thing I have to record is that I managed to get Caligula to one of Britain's top authors, a writer who has sold millions of books all over he world, and that he thoroughly enjoyed it and sent me a lovely personal letter saying wonderful things about my writing. Unfortunately - and I fully respect his decision - he doesn't do quotes for book jackets. You could regard that as a setback, but he was so positive about what he'd read that it's actually a huge vote of confidence.
Despite the lack of activity on the surface, I know that people are working away trying to sell the book, market it and are preparing for publication - ten weeks and counting. Maybe something big is just around the corner!
The one really positive thing I have to record is that I managed to get Caligula to one of Britain's top authors, a writer who has sold millions of books all over he world, and that he thoroughly enjoyed it and sent me a lovely personal letter saying wonderful things about my writing. Unfortunately - and I fully respect his decision - he doesn't do quotes for book jackets. You could regard that as a setback, but he was so positive about what he'd read that it's actually a huge vote of confidence.
Despite the lack of activity on the surface, I know that people are working away trying to sell the book, market it and are preparing for publication - ten weeks and counting. Maybe something big is just around the corner!
Thursday, 17 April 2008
Countdown to Caligula
It's been London Book Week for the last few days and I'm pretty certain Transworld will have been doing their best to sell the rights for Caligula around the world. The little flurry of foreign sales I had before Christmas, Italy, Russia and Poland, gave me the wrong idea about the way these things work and I now realise how fortunate I was to have that early success. The last couple of weeks have been quiet on the book front, but I had word from Simon that Caligula's name has changed again. I'm now the author of Caligula - with a sub-title of: Can a slave decide the fate of an Emperor? which is a line I like, but is taking a bit of getting used to. I've just got back from Vilamoura on the Algarve on a holiday with my wife Alison and son Gregor, and his pal Ross. We had a hurricane for the first few days - at least the rain was warm - but the weather was hot for the rest of the week. The marina is great, but I found the rest of the resort a bit soulless. The best days I had were walking along the incredible, eroded red cliffs between Vilamoura and Albufeira and, surprise, surprise, at the Roman museum which is mostly an outdoor villa complex with pottery still lying more or less where it's been for the last two thousand years. Been in touch with a guy called Bob Low who I haven't seen for about ten years. He's another journalist turned author and we used to work together at the Daily Record in Glasgow. I didn't realise he'd written a book until I saw it in the shops, a historical novel - more Viking saga actually - called The Whale Road, the story of an intrepid band of Vikings called the Oathsworn. If anyone should know about Vikings it's Bob, who takes part in re-enactments, has built boats, stood in battle lines and, judging by his stories, has revelled in the mud and the blood - and the ale. By chance I had the opportunity to read his second book The Wolf Sea while I was on the way back from Portugal and I thought it was brilliant. He has an incredible depth of knowledge and a gutsy writing style that really takes you there and holds you in thrawl. If you like historical novels with an edge, it's right up with Bernard Cornwell. Three months to go to July 14 and I had another tremendously positive reaction from a friend who read one of my book proof copies while she was on holiday. She homed in on all the stuff I thought was special, but the best was when she told me: "You know, Doug, you really got the women right. A lot of male writers aren't able to do that." Until she said it, I wasn't sure I could either.
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Countdown to Caligula
I've had my best review yet for Caligula. "It's brilliant. It draws you in and keeps you turning the pages. I can't believe how you pulled it all together. It deserves to be a best-seller." And this from a man who's read thousands of books in his lifetime, who knows what he likes and who wouldn't necessarily have been drawn to a book about Rome. I gave my mum and dad a bookproof last weekend when Simon sent me a couple more copies. I honestly didn't know whether dad would fancy reading it, and if he did whether he'd like it. To get his seal of approval feels like winning over the literary editor of one of the big broadsheets.
As a writer, you always live in hope, but, conversely, don't want to build your hopes up too high, but there's a momentum growing about the book that is giving me a real buzz. So far half a dozen people have read it and the reactions have all been incredibly positive. Simon liked it enough to gamble on a complete unknown. Edward who runs Youwriteon.com has one of the bookproofs and echoes my dad's view: " I think this book deserves to be a bestseller. It's really engrossing and wonderfully written." My mate Rob read the first 100 pages in two hours when he was up for the rugby and told me I should give up the day job and go for it -I haven't taken his advice yet, but it was a great endorsement.
Can a first novel become a bestseller? Realistically, the chances are pretty minimal. Again I think it's all about momentum, there has to come a point when it's not just another book, it's THE book. But the funny thing about Caligula is that there's always been that little bit of good fortune that has helped it to make that next crucial step. All it takes is for it to fall into the right set of hands at the right time and it could change everything. Only another fourteen weeks or so to to go.
That was an interesting piece by Guy Dammann about Youwriteon on the Guardian website, and it generated a lot of feedback. He was a little bit disengenuous with his digs about English Arts Council funding, but overall it was pretty positive. I think he slightly missed the point about the raison d'etre of the site, though. Youwriteon is all about encouraging people to be involved in writing and to evolve their writing once they're in. The very fact that so many people from all over the world have signed up and are taking part is surely evidence enough of the site's success so far. The possibility of getting published is the carrot which draws people in, but if someone like me is fortunate enough to find a publisher it's a by-product of what Youwriteon is all about not the reason it exists.
As a writer, you always live in hope, but, conversely, don't want to build your hopes up too high, but there's a momentum growing about the book that is giving me a real buzz. So far half a dozen people have read it and the reactions have all been incredibly positive. Simon liked it enough to gamble on a complete unknown. Edward who runs Youwriteon.com has one of the bookproofs and echoes my dad's view: " I think this book deserves to be a bestseller. It's really engrossing and wonderfully written." My mate Rob read the first 100 pages in two hours when he was up for the rugby and told me I should give up the day job and go for it -I haven't taken his advice yet, but it was a great endorsement.
Can a first novel become a bestseller? Realistically, the chances are pretty minimal. Again I think it's all about momentum, there has to come a point when it's not just another book, it's THE book. But the funny thing about Caligula is that there's always been that little bit of good fortune that has helped it to make that next crucial step. All it takes is for it to fall into the right set of hands at the right time and it could change everything. Only another fourteen weeks or so to to go.
That was an interesting piece by Guy Dammann about Youwriteon on the Guardian website, and it generated a lot of feedback. He was a little bit disengenuous with his digs about English Arts Council funding, but overall it was pretty positive. I think he slightly missed the point about the raison d'etre of the site, though. Youwriteon is all about encouraging people to be involved in writing and to evolve their writing once they're in. The very fact that so many people from all over the world have signed up and are taking part is surely evidence enough of the site's success so far. The possibility of getting published is the carrot which draws people in, but if someone like me is fortunate enough to find a publisher it's a by-product of what Youwriteon is all about not the reason it exists.
Monday, 17 March 2008
Countdown to Caligula
We've been working together for something like eight months now, but I finally met my editor Simon at the weekend. My wife Alison and I travelled down to London on the sleeper overnight on Thursday and then got the tube out to Ealing, where the Transworld offices are. Simon and Stina, my publicist, took us out for lunch to a great Italian place. He was just about exactly as I imagined him; young, very sharp and extremely professional. The whole lunch was very businesslike, exploring ideas for publicising the book, things I could do to help and talking about the launch, which will be in Scotland. Stina has lots of ideas for getting coverage, based on the author profile I sent her. I got a real feel for how much Transworld have invested me and in my writing and I'm determined to do everything possible to make it work.
Before lunch we had a chat in Simon's office. Behind him on a shelf was a stack of proof copies of Caligula, which gave me a sneak preview of what they'll look like in the bookshop.
Maybe it was a bit premature, but I gave him synopsis' for another four books I'm planning to write. He's made it pretty plain nothing will happen until we see how Caligula goes, but I've got a lot of writing time to make up, so as soon as he's happy with book two I'll start writing the final Rufus book, which I already have a form of. The one that really excites me is book four, another historic novel, which I already have plotted in my head and will be a real challenge to write, with a more complex structure than I've previously attempted.
London was great. We stayed at the Radisson in Portman Square and ate in a couple of really good restaurants nearby, the best of which was a place called Textures, which is a bit special, with prices to match. On Saturday we took the ultimate tourist trip on an open top bus, and I dragged Alison to the Imperial War Museum (which paid her back for the Christmas shopping). We went to the London Eye and took a boat trip down to the Tower, then joined the bus again.
Back to Brothers in Arms (version 101) on the train today. I think I'm dun cuttin' and pastin' and will soon be able to start writing again which will come as an enormous relief. Rewriting is fine, but taking something I've written to pieces is something I'll never learn to enjoy.
Before lunch we had a chat in Simon's office. Behind him on a shelf was a stack of proof copies of Caligula, which gave me a sneak preview of what they'll look like in the bookshop.
Maybe it was a bit premature, but I gave him synopsis' for another four books I'm planning to write. He's made it pretty plain nothing will happen until we see how Caligula goes, but I've got a lot of writing time to make up, so as soon as he's happy with book two I'll start writing the final Rufus book, which I already have a form of. The one that really excites me is book four, another historic novel, which I already have plotted in my head and will be a real challenge to write, with a more complex structure than I've previously attempted.
London was great. We stayed at the Radisson in Portman Square and ate in a couple of really good restaurants nearby, the best of which was a place called Textures, which is a bit special, with prices to match. On Saturday we took the ultimate tourist trip on an open top bus, and I dragged Alison to the Imperial War Museum (which paid her back for the Christmas shopping). We went to the London Eye and took a boat trip down to the Tower, then joined the bus again.
Back to Brothers in Arms (version 101) on the train today. I think I'm dun cuttin' and pastin' and will soon be able to start writing again which will come as an enormous relief. Rewriting is fine, but taking something I've written to pieces is something I'll never learn to enjoy.
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