back in the saddle

Posted on January 8, 2018 by admin

So, looking at the date of my last post, I’m astounded to see that it took me 2 years to recover from that doubt phase.

Well, maybe a year and then I decided to get back in the game, because I love writing, and it’s the journey that is beautiful not the end road.

So I joined an amazing course at the writersworkshop. It was the self-edit your novel class, run by the wonderful and amazingly talented Debi Alper. There I learn a lot, was hit with light bulbs moments, some great, so ego crashing, but it helped me so much. And last but not least I have found a group of amazingly suppportive and talented writers.

We have kept in touch after the course had finished. We still critique each other’s work. One of us has a novel out in march, which is so exciting!!

So if you’re like me, hit by doubt but still wanting to get going, all I can say is “find your heard”. That is find a class or a critic group with like minded and kind people. Who will offer you honest but not heart breaking feedback on your work. It’s not easy to find, true. But it is so important.

So go out there!! Make it happen. Only you, can.

when doubt hits you

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Marie Dentan

I’ve not written for a long time. Not that I didn’t want to, just I couldn’t.

Why? You ask. Simple.

I’ve been crushed.

And let me tell you how, so it won’t happen to you. Continue reading →

MMU Graduation

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Marie Dentan

So in July 2015, I’ve graduated from MMU.

I could now put MA after my name, which would be very posh but no doubt really silly as well.

Unfortunately I could not attend the ceremony, because, hum, well I was taking the sun down in the South West of France.

But here’s some wonderful pictures of my fellow MA friends, or the Scoobie gang as we call ourselves. Plus you can see mine and Anna’s heads poking behind!!

Now if I write this post, beside the fact that I feel quite proud to have got an MA with Merit, is that I want to talk a little about my friends.

They are, no doubt, writers that you’ll need to look out for in the near future.

Anna Mainwaring, Matt Killeen, Kim Hutson, Katy Simmonds , Paula Warrington, Alison Padley-Woods, Lucinda Nettleton.

There. keep those names in mind because not only they’re a bunch of truly talented writers, some got agents, another one got a publishing company interested in her novel, they’ve all got short stories published, but they’re also lovely people. Which doesn’t hurt to say.

JE SUIS CHARLIE

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Marie Dentan

Events in my home country force me to come out of my usual retinue, and say loud and clear how I feel about those terrorist attacks.

I’m a writer. I’m not a caricaturist or a journalist, I simply write stories for children. You might want to say, how does this affect me and my work? Well it does.

First, because once a terrorist wants to stifle those who draw and tell stories through their writing, where does it end?

Those barbarians do not want a society with humour. I need humour to live.

I claim the right to put love, sadness, hope in my stories. I claim the right to have dragons, monsters, dancers in my stories. I claim the right to draw a map if the world I’m talking about requires it. I claim the right to be happy, joyful, fiercful and free in my stories. And nothing, except the love and respect of the children I write for will stop me from putting down into words what my imagination holds.

Those barbarians do not want kids, especially girls to learn to read, because when you can read, you can think, and it isn’t easy to manipulate someone who thinks. They want to destroy that infinite part of the soul that should never be tamed, the right to dream.

And I believe with all my hearts, that as light hearted and gentle children stories may be, they are there to inform children of the world surrounding them, of the powers they’ve got within them, of the strength they can hold when together.

So yes, by attacking Charlie Hebdo, they’re attacking all the voices that tell stories. And I will fight this with all my heart, with all my soul.

Competition

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Marie Dentan

Skylark Literary is opening a competition for middle grade authors, (9-12)

As it is open to anyone who writes in English, I thought I’d pass it on.

I might just enter…. just.

Here is the link to the full details: Skylark children’s book competition

NaNo Writing Month

Posted on November 1, 2014 by admin

So yes, I’m taking part for the first time ever in the NaNo Writing Month, or National Novel Writing Month challenge, where basically I’ll have to have written a complete novel by the end of this month.

Now it says, 50000 words… My novel being a middle grade one, I’ll either write two or stick to a good 25K.

I’ll see, but it’s a good and fun challenge.

Come and join!

NaNo Writing Month