tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post7785355682626278841..comments2024-03-28T06:28:49.282+00:00Comments on Picture Book Den: DARN-it -dipity by Jane ClarkeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-62000189202246309912013-07-17T19:43:20.536+01:002013-07-17T19:43:20.536+01:00Lol, I'll run the idea of a dog blog past Bram...Lol, I'll run the idea of a dog blog past Bramble.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-59038851287211813892013-07-16T10:31:34.182+01:002013-07-16T10:31:34.182+01:00Oh yes it has and all the while I was writing my m...Oh yes it has and all the while I was writing my most recent book I was too scared to go into the children's section of any book shops just in case I saw something too similar there! <br /><br />Love your dog BTW. He looks extremely wise and all-knowing. Does he have his own blog? : )Jackie Bucklehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02256707536603867875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-92040293496557157802013-07-13T15:03:11.028+01:002013-07-13T15:03:11.028+01:00Definitely a case of darn-it-dipity, John!Definitely a case of darn-it-dipity, John!Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-49679556062895668652013-07-13T08:58:46.530+01:002013-07-13T08:58:46.530+01:00Yes I've had that experience - wrote a sure-fi...Yes I've had that experience - wrote a sure-fire winner, a lot of sketches and a couple of finished illustrations for a dummy, and my agent of the time was very positive. <br /><br />Then I discovered the "other" book - same theme, same idea, even the same type of characters. The worst thing was that I found it in a discount bookshop. My only consolation was that the artwork was horribly bland - I'd have made it a much better book (I reassured myself). John Shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12667956500314198121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-12818661418995982812013-07-11T21:18:33.988+01:002013-07-11T21:18:33.988+01:00Sorry to hear that, Wendy. Bramble's very anci...Sorry to hear that, Wendy. Bramble's very ancient, but her tail still finds lots to wag about.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-53897432391745813992013-07-11T16:22:31.291+01:002013-07-11T16:22:31.291+01:00Experiencing this writing setback with an old dog ...Experiencing this writing setback with an old dog friend makes it all okay. Missing mine. . . .Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14114624813405241762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-6684272982027956542013-07-11T14:48:33.834+01:002013-07-11T14:48:33.834+01:00Thanks Moira. yes, great tip from Jonathan.Thanks Moira. yes, great tip from Jonathan.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-42272113649897016292013-07-11T14:43:46.296+01:002013-07-11T14:43:46.296+01:00Hope so, Laura!Hope so, Laura!Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-80013494457250315572013-07-11T14:43:17.557+01:002013-07-11T14:43:17.557+01:00Thanks,Ann. In the meantime, it's on with the ...Thanks,Ann. In the meantime, it's on with the next...Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-57952710802641454232013-07-11T14:41:44.172+01:002013-07-11T14:41:44.172+01:00Never even thought of buying the url, Stroppy, tha...Never even thought of buying the url, Stroppy, thanks for the tip - definitely worth considering for a series. Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-54581671239701525372013-07-11T12:17:04.867+01:002013-07-11T12:17:04.867+01:00*Always* Google a title. And then buy the url if i...*Always* Google a title. And then buy the url if it's not gone- that can scare other people off using the title before you get into printStroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-40052463029820336952013-07-11T11:51:48.288+01:002013-07-11T11:51:48.288+01:00Great post. I think Jonathan Allen's suggesti...Great post. I think Jonathan Allen's suggestion to your story aside for now and let it ferment is spot on. I'm sure that with time and distance you'll come up with some super duper clever and unexpected twist that will make your story stand out in a fresh new way. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-30597428287711726622013-07-11T09:23:48.116+01:002013-07-11T09:23:48.116+01:00It's so frustrating when this happens. But at ...It's so frustrating when this happens. But at least you have your story ready, and if necessary you can put it away for a year or so and then whisk it out with a flourish when the time is ripe! Good luck! Ann Turnbullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484265041343702129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-80524682895383967792013-07-11T08:37:24.161+01:002013-07-11T08:37:24.161+01:00It's a tricky balance, Romelle. My ideas have ...It's a tricky balance, Romelle. My ideas have to compost for ages before I get writing (seem my Den post on ideas composting). Then I'm always tempted to send a story off too soon, while I'm too involved in it to see the fault lines. I try to make myself wait 3 weeks. In that time, it helps to get it critiqued, and include at least a week where I don't look at the text or fiddle with it, in the hope of going back to it with fresh eyes.<br />Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-39527025600075594022013-07-11T06:07:22.737+01:002013-07-11T06:07:22.737+01:00Oh, Jane, I feel for you. I haven't had a pers...Oh, Jane, I feel for you. I haven't had a personal rejection go into detail like yours, but I've seen my story idea and plot published by another author and it just breaks my heart. I see from the comments above that this happens to writers all the time. Now, when I think I have a great story, I feel like I have this urgency to get it ready for submission before someone gets there first. That's something I have to overcome.Romelle Broashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11860032539164234533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-85720310788080217362013-07-10T22:15:57.944+01:002013-07-10T22:15:57.944+01:00Wow, thanks for sharing, Paeony - wish I'd see...Wow, thanks for sharing, Paeony - wish I'd seen that episode. Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-14538533232603929362013-07-10T20:55:32.769+01:002013-07-10T20:55:32.769+01:00Jane, your dog is such a cutie.
I remember a Darre...Jane, your dog is such a cutie.<br />I remember a Darren Brown episode on TV where he asked a group of creatives at an ad agency to come up with an idea for something and then when they presented their idea it was the same visual idea as the one Darren Brown had sealed in an envelope. The way he'd done 'the trick' was to influence their subconscious with images/objects in shops, etc., along their route to work. So whenever I get frustrated I remind myself we're all influenced by the same things. But it's still frustrating and has happened too many times to me! Grrr...<br />And congratulations on your new book, Jane :-)Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-11974519804399617692013-07-10T17:54:03.539+01:002013-07-10T17:54:03.539+01:00Sounds as if you came really close, Clare, how fru...Sounds as if you came really close, Clare, how frustrating.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-28258710016038034562013-07-10T12:53:37.914+01:002013-07-10T12:53:37.914+01:00I had a book based on the fortunately-unfortunatel...I had a book based on the fortunately-unfortunately game and I googled it loads in the first weeks of having the idea and starting to write it. There was nothing. I sent it to my agent (and yours, of course, Jane!) who liked it and it went out to several publishers, two of whom were interested and I met up and discussed it with one... by which time, we'd BOTH discovered there was another one JUST out (that hadn't been there on google four months before). And very soon after, another one came out, written by Alan Durant. I talked to him about it and he said he'd had no idea a different one was coming out either and just pipped his to the post. Not sure there's room in the market for three, but I still think about reworking it as something else as it's a fun (and very silly) story.<br /><br />And hooray for your Nosy Crow news!Juliet Clare Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06020801246132751659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-46232330344682873542013-07-10T12:44:22.125+01:002013-07-10T12:44:22.125+01:00Thanks Malachy, and yes, changes are underway to t...Thanks Malachy, and yes, changes are underway to the text in question.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-43583439332640685122013-07-10T11:15:23.756+01:002013-07-10T11:15:23.756+01:00Yes, Jane, it happens me too. I'd change it a...Yes, Jane, it happens me too. I'd change it a bit, and try other publishers. You might get yours out before theirs, anyway.<br /><br />Well done with Nosy Crow, by the way.<br /><br />.<br /> malachy doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14428551785118345251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-79988015903226404042013-07-10T10:55:53.080+01:002013-07-10T10:55:53.080+01:00Good point, Jonathan. Seeing the idea elsewhere sh...Good point, Jonathan. Seeing the idea elsewhere should trigger more thinking - a more 'sideways look, perhaps - which may well improve the original concept. Positive thinking - Like it. And I can't wait to read your rhyming who-dunnit, Jane! Moira Butterfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355420549929911500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-60401113248106594192013-07-10T10:52:40.093+01:002013-07-10T10:52:40.093+01:00The darnit factor's got to increase exponentia...The darnit factor's got to increase exponentially with word count! Fingers crossed for your adult novel, Moira.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-28820767416194063582013-07-10T10:50:00.482+01:002013-07-10T10:50:00.482+01:00Laughed about you having a book called Don't W...Laughed about you having a book called Don't Wake the Baby! I'd no idea - isn't that just the way? My text doesn't feature sounds and is a rhyming who-dunnit so I'm hoping it's very different!<br />As you can probably tell -I never google a title before I write in case I get put off writing it.Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-87081489428212462972013-07-10T10:40:53.236+01:002013-07-10T10:40:53.236+01:00I did a pop up book with sounds called 'Don...I did a pop up book with sounds called 'Don't Wake the Baby!' many moons ago so I'm watching you! ;-))<br />The first thing my publisher does when presented with a new book idea is google the title and it's variations to see what is or has been around on the same theme. This is useful for checking titles too.<br />Yeah, I've had ideas that were scuppered by there being too many 'great minds thinking alike' and it is aggravating. I guess we should research the potential competition at the earliest stage to avoid the waste of emotional and creative energy.<br />Still, it can trigger a rethink which can add a twist, or suggest a different character and produce something even stronger than the first idea. Keep the idea lurking and fermenting in the subconscious because you never know when things might fall into place and suddenly make sense. . . Jon Burgess Designhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686489273842347796noreply@blogger.com