First Offender
I did it! I sent in my first entry in Britain's Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger competition.
There must be hundreds and maybe even thousands of others like me, so my hopes of winning are still realistic, but still I'm very happy I made it.
As you know, they only want a first chapter of 3,000 words, a synopsis of 1,000 words, and 20 pounds. There is no need for you to write the whole story - which would take 100,000 words and quite some time.
It's only after you actually know you've won something - and that might take several months after the February 15 deadline - that you have to start worrying about producing a coherent, publishable story.
My first try is a pretty straightforward gangster vs. police story, with British characters - mindful of the country the jury is from - but set against the background of a Mediterranean country just because I like the sunshine.
I now still have 10 days left until the deadline. I'll be filling those with writing the first chapter and synopsis of a second story - with fewer characters, and set in a bleak British town - and maybe even a third. In my previous posting, I told you about the Cloverfield effect, well, my third story will be loosely inspired by that movie, though of course it won't involve monsters attacking New York.
If I want to reach my aim of competing with three different stories - which is actually completely by the rules - then I'll have to spend every morning and afternoon working on either story number two or three for the next few days, including the Chinese New Year holidays.
I'll let you know what I'm doing, and in the meantime, enjoy the start of the Year of the Rat.
There must be hundreds and maybe even thousands of others like me, so my hopes of winning are still realistic, but still I'm very happy I made it.
As you know, they only want a first chapter of 3,000 words, a synopsis of 1,000 words, and 20 pounds. There is no need for you to write the whole story - which would take 100,000 words and quite some time.
It's only after you actually know you've won something - and that might take several months after the February 15 deadline - that you have to start worrying about producing a coherent, publishable story.
My first try is a pretty straightforward gangster vs. police story, with British characters - mindful of the country the jury is from - but set against the background of a Mediterranean country just because I like the sunshine.
I now still have 10 days left until the deadline. I'll be filling those with writing the first chapter and synopsis of a second story - with fewer characters, and set in a bleak British town - and maybe even a third. In my previous posting, I told you about the Cloverfield effect, well, my third story will be loosely inspired by that movie, though of course it won't involve monsters attacking New York.
If I want to reach my aim of competing with three different stories - which is actually completely by the rules - then I'll have to spend every morning and afternoon working on either story number two or three for the next few days, including the Chinese New Year holidays.
I'll let you know what I'm doing, and in the meantime, enjoy the start of the Year of the Rat.
posted by The Nude Guru at
4:21 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Enzo,
I'm currently doing some research on Taipei lifestyle, and having been reading your blog, it would be great to get in touch with you. Unfortunately I couldn't find a way of contacting you by email, so thought if I left a comment here you would pick it up. If you could email me at vincent@scbpartners.com that would be great. I look forward to hearing from you.
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