The Word Cloud

Thank you, Hilary. I wish I was so sensible!

I doubt it’d be forbidden, but keep in mind that last year’s winner was, I believe, saturated by agents’ requests for the full manuscript within minutes of receiving the victory champagne…

I did think about that but then decided that since I'm offering two, possibly three, books in a series, it might just be a good way to get interest in them all!

If they were to express interest only in the work the Authonomy piece is from, I would simply have to burn the candle at both ends and write an entire novel in about a week. Simples.....

John, "sensible" has been a theme throughout my adult life - is that a good thing or just plain dull?

From where I'm standing, Hilary, with approximately four jobs, none of which earn me much, and as a member of a family who are pathologically untidy in body mind and spirit, 'sensible' is a bright shining star in the distance: something to be aspired to with increasing intensity and decreasing hope as I get older.

When you put it like that.......

x

No reply to my email yet. If I don't hear by mid-morning tomorrow, I'm going to send the piece from my unfinished work then I'm going to cross my fingers.

'If they were to express interest only in the work the Authonomy piece is from, I would simply have to burn the candle at both ends and write an entire novel in about a week. Simples.....' They say Kerouac wrote On the Road in 3 weeks... :)

Well, I guess 11 o'clock counts as mid-morning and I haven't had a reply to my email (which seems a bit slack to me, but that's another issue) so I'm going to send the piece from my unfinished work.

Fingers already crossed!

OK, this proves it, I've become sensible in my old age!

I just called the Writer's Workshop office to ask a couple of questions:

• the Authonomy entry piece can be sent as part of the covering email or as an attachment to it
• the piece can be from either a finished or unfinished work. From an agent's interest point of view, it might be sensible to send something from finished manuscript (and this is where I depart from the sensible because I'm sending an extract from an unfinished work, which follows my finished work, in the hope that it will spark interest in them both!)

Hope this helps anyone with the same queries as myself.

See y'all next week!

Thank you, Hilary – we can both depart from the sensible in style, and for the same good reason.

Got an email saying the Authonomy speakers have been selected and notified - anyone here have any joy? :)

I'm joyful that I wasn't selected :P

Not me. Have to admit that, like Ro, I'm pretty relieved - I can enjoy a drink or two on Friday now :-)

Not me either - kind of gutted but kind of relieved. Looking forward to hearing those chosen and offering lots of support.

Not me either, but wishing the best to the magnificant seven

Nope nor me...will enjoy having a pint and a listen though!