Dear Deborah,

I have just read your post thank you. Firstly a Happy New Year.
Don’t be put off by your health issues. They are obviously part of who you are and any good agent would see beyond them. Yes some of the endless self promotion may be difficult but so much today is done on the internet. When Burnt Norton was published I had no idea where the road ahead would lead and I learnt quickly that so much is up to the individual, but with twitter and facebook and the huge variety of tools at our fingertips, you should be able to achieve a great deal. My children have just told me that actually I need to take my foot off the peddle. I think it is very easy to become obsessed with it all, but actually the joy is the writing so Deborah remember that and write.

When I was younger I thought that once I got my book written all would be rosy … then I thought once I got an agent all would be rosy … then I thought once I found a publisher … well, you know the rest. Thanks for writing about this process, the highs as well as the lows. It helps me remember that the writing is the joyful part; all the rest is gravy.

Dear Victoria, I am so sorry it sounds as if you have had a very difficult time. I am sure you will achieve something great because you obviously have a gift and your journey has not been easy. Passion, sadness, pain all these things add to your writing. I don’t think you can write without any life experience.

Good luck and I hope that you will let us know when you get that great letter or call to say you are to be published.

Very best wishes

Caroline

I know I can most certainly relate to what you have said, because in a way my roller coaster is the actual writing. What I mean is that my book is about me and my life which wouldn’t be I suppose too bad, however the main part it is the severe chronic pain condition that I suffer from after I had a in the outside a ‘simple’ accident at work, the subsequent extreme treatments, the ‘pigeon-holing’ of the National Health Service in the UK and above all the amputation of my leg- and all of these lows leading from that.

So… I seem to end up in floods of tears when I write about different incidents through the journey. But I know that when the book is finally finished, hopefully published and read by others then I will know and feel proud of what I have achieved not only going through the horrendous journey I’ve travelled with the condition and which it still goes on, but also the fact that I have achieved something great in my writing.

In short I believe all writers go through ups and downs, highs and lows whether they are writing an epic novel or a short story.

Thank you Kate, I have had a great response to this and its very comforting to know I am not alone. Only this week I was given an anecdote on the precarious moods of an author and the various stages of our neurosis by Siobhan Loftus. Unfortunately I didn’t write it down but it was hilarious. It’s so very true, one moment we are up and our novel is great, the next we believe the novel is rubbish, we are rubbish in fact why did we ever bother at all!!!

Very best and thank you

Caroline

Thank you Diana that is so kind. A very wise man told me at the weekend that I must take every day as it comes and not get so obsessed with numbers, after all I have a book on the shelves and should be content. There is a wee problem however, once you have one on the shelf you are desperate for the second book to be accepted and it is not a given! Oh Lord why do we put ourselves through it. Of course I know the answer. I love writing.