The time-suck of social networking
I am not someone who shudders at technology, generally speaking. Yet at the age of 36 (37 in two weeks--yikes!), I find myself having some belated sympathy for my mother, who refused to figure out how to work the microwave or TV remote control. As a teenager I was impatient with her utter resistance, but now I realize these innovations came relentlessly into her world when she was already in her late 30s/40s, and learning to adjust at that age is not easy.
In fact, I find myself in a similar position. I resisted actively using a cellphone until we moved to New York, and I realized it was an essential item in the Big Apple. I had one before then, but I pretty much left it switched off, which naturally limited its usefulness (and infuriated my husband when he was trying to get in touch with me--he was the only one with my number.) I didn't even understand how Facebook worked until about a year ago, and I finally capitulated to twitter two weeks ago. And now I am on Goodreads.
I'm reluctant to embrace all these innovations firstly because I am a slow learner technology-wise (and I still use these in a bare minimum kind of way--for example, I still have not figured out what a widget is.) Secondly it's a huge time-suck. The internet is always a temptation when you are writing, but now it is accompanied by all sorts of dazzling possibilities: maybe someone has tweeted me (is that even the proper syntax?!), or reviewed my book on Amazon or now Goodreads (on second hand, let's not check reviews, shall we?) and then of course email always needs to be refreshed... and look, it's ten p.m. and I should have finished the chapter and I've written--wait--two hundred words! Excellent!
All this to say, I'm now on Goodreads and you can friend or follow me or whatever the expression is--just search for Kate Hewitt. I'm going to try to be fairly regular in posting the books I read, because that is actually an attractive option. And don't forget I'm on Twitter too--you can't get rid of me, it seems!
Labels: Goodreads, Technology, Twitter, writing life
posted by Kate Hewitt at
The finish line is in sight
I have two more chapters to write of my latest book, and I am coming close to breathing a huge sigh of relief because this book has definitely not been easy to write, and I am already preparing myself for some fairly massive revisions. But at least it's almost over, and next up is a novella that I have already plotted out a bit, and which I'm hoping will be a little easier! It's funny how some books seem to write themselves--well, almost--and others are a grueling battle for each and every word. I'm not even sure why that is, and I can never predict which it will be, alas.
In the meantime, I'm getting my inspiration from the wonderful New Voices entries. I'm really impressed with the quality of the submissions, and it's making me go back to my manuscript and try to raise the bar a bit! Good luck everyone, I can't wait to hear who the finalists are.
posted by Kate Hewitt at
Tweet tweet
I've officially joined Twitter, and am actually using it fairly regularly! More regularly than I update my website, at any rate. So if you have a Twitter account, you can follow me and I'll follow you--sounds like a song! My username is katehewitt1. (I have a feeling I signed up as katehewitt and then forgot. I have a tendency of doing that. I registered for the domain www.katehewitt.com when I first sold and then promptly forgot, only to register again six months later and wonder who had bought my domain! Duh--I had, and I can't locate any of the information that would allow me to use it. You are probably wondering now how I manage to write book. I wonder that too.)
Still wrestling with my current ms, nearing the end though! And after that I get to write a novella which feels easy-peasy compared to this. Ha! Nothing's easy, I know. Not really...
posted by Kate Hewitt at
Mills & Boon's New Voices competition is now open!
If you haven't heard about this, Mills & Boon is running an X-Factor style writing competition running from today until the end of September. You can post your first chapter and people will comment on it on the site (a little exciting, a little alarming!) and then the judges (editors and the fabulous Presents author Penny Jordan) will pick ten winning entries who will further develop their manuscripts. It goes on from there, and eventually there will be one winner who will get GUARANTEED publication, and let me tell you, few writers get that, ever! So if you're an aspiring romance writer, check out
Romance is not dead. It's also fun to read the entries that are already posted--some historicals and paranormals so far. I really applaud those who are posting their chapters--it's not easy to put your work out there!
I am over halfway through my latest manuscript, the retelling of Emma, which is currently titled Kingsley's Choice. I'm sure that will change, as I've yet to pick a title my editor has kept. I also just read a book I *have* to recommend, it was that good. One-Night... Nine-Month Scandal by
Sarah Morgan was fun, sexy, and with a wonderful hero and heroine. It's out in stores now.
Back to Emily and Jason, who are about to take their relationship into a whole new direction...
posted by Kate Hewitt at
